The Nugget, July, 2006

“Just as you did it

to one of the least of these,

you did it to me.”

Matthew 25.40

It was a unique privilege for Cindy and me to be a part of a Heifer Study Tour to Albania and Kosovo in the early part of June. These two parts of the Balkans are not vacation spots like so many other Mediterranean locales. Albania and Kosovo both have been through tremendous hardships in recent years and are very deserving recipients of Heifer’s ministry.

Our trip consisted of daily visits to numerous Heifer sites where small farmers have been gifted with cows or goats or pigs, as a way of helping them avoid poverty and be self-sustaining. They not only receive an animal, they also learn to feed, protect and shelter it, and are also required to pass on the first born female to a neighbor.

One of the farms we visited is owned by a woman who lost both her son and husband in the Kosovo war of the late 1990s. (The “farms” are often small parcels barely large enough for the house, a few animals and maybe a garden.) Heifer had given this war widow a pregnant cow with the expectation that the first female offspring would be passed on to another family in need. Surprisingly the animal had twin female calves, although the vet warned that one of them was so small and weak that it would not survive. But this woman was resolute. “There has been enough dying in this village,” she said, and she tenderly nurtured the animal through bottle feeding and other special attention.

The animal in fact did survive. And when the time came to “pass on the gift,” her heart would not let her relinquish the smaller animal. Instead the stronger twin sister became the gift for her neighbor. The nurtured animal is still in her stable, a milk-producing testimony to this war widow’s determination and strength of spirit.

In Albania one of our many visits was to a poverty stricken, hillside community in the south of the country, where Heifer has given 150 goats in the last couple of years. The animals have provided the families with daily goat’s milk for increased nutrition, for sale in the local market, and for making cheese and butter. At one of the farms we viewed a “passing on the gift” ceremony after which we were invited to the local school for a community gathering.

Lining the entrance to the school grounds were dozens of cheering children who handed us flowers as we walked in. I felt like I was caught in a scene from Monty Python’s “Life of Brian.” The accolades were overwhelming. But then I realized the depth of this community’s appreciation, primarily for the work of the local Heifer staff, an outstanding group, and then secondarily for the donors from the U.S. and elsewhere who are contributing to the betterment of this community.

At this celebration there were children singing, live music playing, recitations passionately offered, food enjoyed, Raki (the national drink of Albania) toasts made, and dancing. Their traditional dance is a kind of line dancing to Albanian music. It includes everyone, in this instance even one old gentleman who tossed aside his cane to take a young lady’s hand and high step with such passion, I feared for his safety.

It was humbling to see the indomitable spirit of the many people we met and the quality of life that they share. But most of all it was enlightening to experience first hand this work that I, like many of us, have supported from a comfortable distance for many years. The poverty of so many places in this world is staggering, but there is hope. The support that our congregation has generously given to Heifer for many years really does make a significance difference.

Thanks to Rev Jo Siders for filling in for me the Sunday we were away. And special thanks to the Camp Tam Work group who accomplished so much, all without this pastor’s onsite support. It is good to be back with you and to swing into the summer season, with all the many activities that are detailed in the latest edition of our Church Newsletter, the Nugget.

Steve Shepard
Interim Pastor

The Nugget, June 2006

You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit…

binding in covenant faithful people

of all ages, tongues, and races.

(UCC Statement of Faith)

The theme for the recently concluded Annual Meeting of our Northern California – Nevada UCC Conference at Asilomar was "In Covenant… God is Still Speaking." It was a terrific weekend for the 8 of us that represented our congregation in Pacific Grove and enjoyed the fellowship, the weather, the setting and the activities. So what that there was a little rain. So what that it tended to be cool and a little foggy. The fellowship and the activities more than made up for it. All in all it was a very pleasant and enjoyable few days.

The theme of the Asilomar weekend brought home to me once more that God is still speaking. And what God has to say is inextricably bound up with the covenant we share with one another, the bond that unites us, as a congregation and in the wider church. God has never been one to speak in a vacuum, nor one who speaks just to me or just to you with a message irrelevant to our relationship.

Unfortunately there are those who say, “God does speak to ME, in a unique way, and I don’t care what you say, MY word from God is all that matters.” That sounds very affirmative, very assertive. The problem is it leaves out the covenant, the relationship we share with one another. But most alarmingly it ignores the fact that in covenant God’s people have ALWAYS understood God best.

In COVENANT God is still speaking. "We are members one of another," the apostle Paul said. “I am the vine, you are the branches,” Jesus said.

The Annual Meeting at Asilomar further reminded me that the Covenant we share is a covenant between a collection of rainbow people who are very diverse. And in that diversity we find our uniqueness and our joy. And confirmation of our obedience to God through Jesus Christ.

I heard a news report not long ago that referred to our 7th President, Andrew Jackson. In 1829, when Jackson was sworn in as President, all his old buddies from the South descended on the White House and created quite a stir. They ate like it was their last meal, tracked mud into the mansion, swung from the drapes, spat tobacco, and just about wrecked the furniture. To elect Andrew Jackson meant having to deal with those he counted as friends, much to the chagrin of the elite in Washington, D.C.

It is the same with Jesus and the Covenant we share as Jesus people. He does not come alone into our hearts and affections. He always brings somebody with him. Often those somebodies are the lost, the least and the last. Often they are what we call losers or rejects or undesirables.

Not only does Jesus bring with him bodies you won’t see in Esquire or Cosmopolitan, he brings work to do. And the work is often among the poor or the outcast or the despised of this world. The work he brings is also among the richest among us, who are sometimes among the poor in spirit. Jesus comes to us offering us covenant with persons we would not choose, had we the choice, and with work we probably wouldn’t normally select.

As God’s covenant people in this place at this particular time, we are invited to love all those God loves, to help those God seeks for the circle of God’s love. To do otherwise is to miss the nature of being in covenant, the covenant through which “God is Still Speaking.”

Special blessings to the family of Bob Henning. He and Mary were scheduled to attend the Annual Meeting but had to cancel when his sister in Elk Grove died unexpectedly. And special thanks to Rev Al Valentine who filled in for me, and to all of you who had to pick up the slack while the 8 of us were away at Asilomar.

Steve Shepard, Interim Pastor

The Nugget, May 2006

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Maya Angelou

Back on the first Sunday of Lent I said in my sermon that Lent is NOT my favorite time of the year. Almost as a confession I said that there is something about Lent that I just don’t much care for. But as I ponder NOW those words I spoke THEN, I can only ask myself, “What was I thinking?” I take it all back.

Lent at First Congregational Church was a wonderful experience. And now the presence of Easter is just as wonderful, despite the rain on Easter Sunday, or -- in our case up the hill -- the snow. With out-of-state family visiting us, we were hoping for some warm California weather to offer them, to complement their Easter weekend in our fair state. But it was not to be. Instead they had to hustle down the hill on the afternoon of Easter Sunday as the snow deepened and their fears of being snowed in increased. It was no way to treat good people like them.

But it was an appropriate reminder that the heart of Easter is not just sunshine and warmth. It is more about the presence and power of God arising from within, despite the darkness and gloom. Jesus’ promise is that God’s presence is with us not just in the brightness of spring and the joy of happy times. Instead, as the resurrected Christ remarked, “I am with you always, even to the ends of the earth.”

Truth be told, I do not mind the rain and the winter weather, even in these weeks of spring. The way I see it, we will get the warmth and heat of summer soon enough. One of our folks came up to me during the wedding reception for Teddi and Joe at Native Sons Hall and said, “I am so tired of all this @!#$! rain. Can’t you pray for good weather? Enough is enough.” I swallowed hard, and then admitted to her that I may be part of the problem: it appeared God HAD been answering my prayers.

If only our prayers could affect the weather. In fact, they don’t. But it is in prayer that we can find our way to the fullness of Easter. It is in prayer that we discover the spiritual strength and wholeness to become God’s Easter people, come what may.

Speaking of being God’s Easter people… Faith Roberts was the first one to mention to me that she had seen the new United Church of Christ commercials on TV. Others of you have seen them: the so-called “ejector commercials” that humorously remind people that “whoever you are, and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.” Jesus did not reject (or “eject”!) people and neither do we. By the way… if you do not see the commercials on the TV stations you watch, just go online to the UCC website.

I cannot see the calendar take us into May without raising a toast to all of you on our one year anniversary together. I celebrate this congregation on how well you are progressing through this Interim period. I raise a toast to the Search Committee on the work they are doing. I commend them on their serious commitment to the task that is theirs, and the spirit and discretion with which they are approaching their job. I feel from many of you a sense of excitement as their works gains momentum.

I raise a toast to the leaders of this congregation. This has been a different year because of the transition we have been in, and that has caused us all to approach our work with a heightened sense of what is yet to be. I raise a toast to all of you – church family and friends -- who have had to think about your church life a little differently knowing that the pastoral leadership of the church will be changing in the not too distant future.

As God's Easter people we are on our way. Thank you all for the joy of the journey so far.

The Nugget, April 2006

So then let us not fall asleep as others do,
but let us keep awake…
For Christ died for us,
so we may live with him.
(1 Thess. 5)

It has come to my attention that some of you have been sleeping during worship. This surprises me. Not that certain people are actually sleeping in church. That doesn’t surprise me. Sleep happens. I know that. I learned a long time ago not to take it personally. It happens in every church.

What surprises me is the fact that those who were mentioned to me were not the ones I had SEEN sleeping during worship. Yes, I do notice when people nod off. But evidently I don’t ALWAYS notice. Which is to say that some of you have been getting away with dozing off during worship.

I realize there is not a lot I can do about that. I am not about to stop my sermon and ask one of the ushers to go over and thump you on the ear. Nor would I want to suggest that the dozers refrain from coming to worship. That doesn’t make sense. But it does lead me to suggest a couple of points of etiquette associated with sleeping in church that I must share with you.

First, the sleep offenses: One of the more serious offenses often committed by church sleepers is dozing off in such a way that their neighbors are compelled to elbow them in the ribs. This happens if you snore or if your head falls to your chest or if you stay seated when everyone else stands.

Then there are those who commit what I call the “two elbow offence.” This occurs when people on BOTH sides of you have to elbow you in the ribs in order to get you awake. The only thing worse than that is the two elbow offender whose friend in the choir is forced to communicate silently but expressively from across the sanctuary to your neighbor that you must be awakened.

In truth however, none of that is really necessary, if only the sleeper would position himself or herself correctly. And I don’t just mean position yourself behind a tall person like Alan Thode or Charlie Sutter, where you can be somewhat hidden. I am talking about positioning yourself correctly, so that even if you are on the front row, you can sleep undisturbed.

You see, when you sleep in church you must not LOOK like you are asleep. You should look like you are praying, or pondering thoughtfully. It is not that hard. All you really have to do is adopt a pious pose. It need only be pious enough so that there is reasonable doubt in your neighbor’s mind. If you can create that doubt, you should be home free. Who is going to jab the ribs of someone who “appears” to be praying or meditating?

After all, Lent is a time for reflecting and pondering, so if you can adopt this pious pose when you sleep in church, you should be safe. At least for now. With Easter coming however, all the aforementioned advice will have to be re-thought. When Easter comes, my sleepy friends, all bets are off.

Because Easter is a time to be awake, alert to the rising of Christ in our midst. It is a time to be fully aware, attentive to the newness and the life that God creates among us. Paul’s advice will have to be heeded: “Awake sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5.14)

So get your sleeping in church done during these weeks before we celebrate resurrection. Remember, “Friday’s Here, But Sunday’s Coming” – the reflective season of Lent is nearing its end, the celebration of the Easter Sun/Son is drawing near.

Steve Shepard
Interim Pastor

The Nugget, March 2006

In the daily round of life,

dust and cobwebs accumulate in our souls.

The hidden corners of our hearts

become encrusted with grime

or filled with forgotten debris.

During the weeks of Lent,

God's Spirit is given opportunity

to clear away the clutter,

sweep away the dust and wash us clean.

We are invited to prepare ourselves

heart, soul, mind and body

for the new life of Easter.

-Marlene Kropf

Spring Cleaning for the Soul. There are many different aspects to the traditional observance of Lent, but the most important thing about it, as Marlene Kropf reminds us in the quote above, is the way it beckons us to clear away the clutter of our lives and find spiritual renewal. It is a kind of "spring cleaning for the soul."

Like Easter Sunday, the first day of Lent always falls on the same day of the week each year — Wednesday, but not on the same day of the month. This year Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, falls conveniently enough, on the first day of March. I invite each of you to make this season of Lent a time to be on a spiritual journey; a journey you can understand in three ways: in terms of numbers, in terms of the drama of the life of Jesus, and in terms of experiences to which we are invited.

Crunching the numbers. Beginning March 1 and ending April 15, Lent lasts 46 days (31 days in March and 15 days in pril). Those 46 days include the 6 Sundays of Lent (days of worship historically thought of as “little Easters”) and then 40 other days that represent the 40 days of drama, fasting and struggle that Jesus spent in the wilderness at the start of is ministry.

Divine Drama. Lent is also a time to follow the drama of the life of Jesus. It begins with a consideration of the time Jesus spent in his own personal wilderness, wrestling with evil, but it also includes a look at other dramatic moments in his life. During these 6 weeks the Sunday gospel readings will set the tone as they invite us to ponder

• Jesus’ baptism,
• his conflict with the disciples over the meaning of his life,
• his overturning the tables of the moneychangers in the temple,
• his teaching on God’s love and judgment,
• his reflections on his own death,
• and then his amusing/amazing donkey ride into Jerusalem.

During Lent we will ask how the life experiences of Jesus speak to us about our lives and our church.

Living Our Faith. Most powerfully, Lent is also a journey during which we participate in experiences that invite us to live out our faith. These experiences include

• the ecumenical March 1 Ash Wednesday Worship at Faith Lutheran Church,
• the Soup Supper and "Video Vespers" each Wednesday evening March 8 through April 5,
• the 6 Sunday morning worship services,
• and the Holy Week events of April 9 -16, including an ecumenical Maundy Thursday Communion Service, a Good Friday Service in our sanctuary, and an Easter Sunrise Service at Buena Vista Cemetery.

Each event is designed to help us experience the meaning, the power and the promise of following the one we know as Savior and Sovereign.

I want to say a very special thank you to those groups in the church who will be hosting the Soup Suppers on Wednesday evenings through Lent: Christian Ed Board (March 8); Diaconate (March 15); Music Committee (March 22); Mission Board (March 29); and Health Ministry Committee (April 5). Join us to appreciate the fruit of their labors and then to share in a time of prayer and worship as we experience Lent to the fullest.

Pastor Steve,
Interim Minister

The Nugget, Feb, 2006

And I said to the one who stood
at the Gate of the year:
"Give me a light
that I may tread safely
into the unknown"
And that one replied:
"Go out into the darkness
and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way."
-Minnie Haskins

As we make our way into the new year it is important to affirm that we have a God in whom we can trust. After all there is much about this new year that is uncertain.

For many reasons we want to have some guarantee, some sense that life for this congregation will go well, that there will be no unexpected events that will test us. But as we know, that is not the way life is, either for us as individuals or for us as a church.

We can plan well. We can set ourselves up as best we can to make sure that we can deal with whatever comes our way. But when it is all said and done, we find ourselves needing to be reminded of the truth in the quote at the top of this article. We want light to be able to see clearly as we make our way into the future, but there are times when all we get is the hand of God in the midst of the darkness. But that will have to be enough.

Thanks to all of you who were in attendance at the congregational meeting recently when we approved the Budget for 2006. And special thanks to our Financial Advisor Alan Thode and all those who worked with him in preparing the Budget. It is very encouraging and gratifying for me to read that the church’s financial situation is better than might be expected at this particular time. During an Interim time it is not unusual for a congregation to struggle to maintain its financial health. People tend to wonder how the church will do and what changes might be occurring. And some are reluctant to pledge or to give with the same generosity to the work of the congregation. For this reason it was noteworthy at our congregational meeting to hear from those responsible for financial matters that we are doing very well. It was even reported that our initial pledges to the church for 2006 set a record for our congregation. Needless to say, this is a good sign!

I am also encouraged to see that attendance figures for worship are remaining up. And that participation in the various programs of the church remains good. These are all indications of the good health of MFCC. You are to be commended for the way you have remained faithful to the mission and ministry of our life together even during this period of transition.

What Minnie Haskins knew is something we must learn. As important as it is to plan well and to be ready for whatever might come, the key to being a faithful church requires one other thing. And that is being able and willing to venture into the darkness by the grace of God. 2006 promises to be an important year for our church. Let us make it all it can be by placing our trust in the hand of God, which is something “better than light and safer than a known way.”

The Nugget, Jan 2006

Just being here among you is a joy!
Unending thank-yous
rise within me
for these beloved ones
within your Church, O God.
Blessed be their lives!
Blessed be your Church!
(Ann Weems, Searching For Shalom)

The past year has been one of the most significant in the long history of this congregation. And the church’s history has indeed been long – in 2006 we will celebrate our 140th Anniversary as a congregation.

In the past year, the church said goodbye to not just one, but two pastors who had served the church very well during their time here. In my many home visits, again and again words of appreciation and gratitude have been spoken about the ministries of both Brenda Brown and John Randlett. Their good work is evident in the health and vitality of this church. Saying goodbye to them was a difficult experience for this church. It will be one of the ways that 2005 will be remembered.

The past year will also be remembered as the year we said goodbye to several people who were loved and appreciated and whose deaths have left a void in our hearts and in our church. All these losses thrust this congregation into a time of significant transition as we were forced to examine ourselves, see what we are made of, what our mission is, and where we are headed.

In the midst of all that, 2005 was a year during which we invested significant energy in consideration of becoming an “Open and Affirming Congregation.” It was a process that got everyone’s attention, and helped us see the difficulty but the importance of relating to one another in regard to a controversial matter. Our decision to table the matter was frustrating for some (on both sides!), but has enabled us to turn our attention to other important things. When we will return to a formal consideration of ONA is undetermined.

It appears that 2006 will be as important a year as 2005 was. In the coming year our search committee will continue their important work of finding a new settled pastor for this congregation. Nothing First Congregational Church does in the coming year will be any more important than finding the right person to be the church’s next pastor.

This is not to diminish the importance of the transitional work we are doing during this Interim time. The ways we are evaluating our life together, and are continuing to support the programs and ministries of the church are very important. 2006 must be a time of giving attention to our life together, and focusing our efforts on the goals that we have before us, which were honed during our planning retreat back in October.

One of the best ways we can support the Search Committee’s work in 2006 is by making sure our church life remains strong and healthy and that all our many activities and programs are supported.

This congregation is poised to make 2006 a year of building for the future, a future that will be the best yet. As good as our life is now, and has been in recent years, the future can be even brighter! It will take the best we have to offer, with prayer and guidance from the God who loves us and will be with us, come what may.

Thank you very much for your fine support of me as your Interim Pastor. And special thanks for all the many gifts of love that were given to Cindy and me during the recent Christmas season. The cards, well wishes and the many goodies were appreciated very much. I look forward to serving you in the coming year as long as I am needed. It is a great privilege to be with you and to enjoy the wonderful life that is yours as Murphys First Congregational Church.

Steve Shepard
Interim Pastor

What We Need Is More Light!

Several days before Christmas a woman named Mary Beth was doing some Xmas shopping. As she stood in line paying for her purchases, she wondered how she was physically going to manage them. She was in too much of a hurry to get a shopping cart. She quickly looked at her watch before stacking them high in her arms.

“The Church Council meeting starts in 30 minutes,” she reminded herself. “If I am careful with these packages, I can make it to the car and then get to church right on time.

Why didn’t they just skip this meeting? It is the week of Christmas, for God’s sake!”

A stroke of luck. As she approached the exit of the store, a teen with green spiked hair and pants half way down his rear was holding the door open for her.

“God’s grace comes wrapped in some very strange packages,” she thought. The craziness of that moment distracted her just enough. She ran smack into another shopper who was on his way into the store. Packages and people flew everywhere.

As Mary Beth gained her senses she sat on ground and realized that, thankfully she was not hurt. Her own mood was reflected in the comments of the other crash victim whom she heard say,

“Darn it! Christmas has a way of turning everything upside down.”

Mary Beth had to chuckle, grateful that God had a sense of humor. “How true. How very true,” she mumbled under her breath. “In more ways than that fellow thinks. Christmas does indeed have a way of upending our lives.”

She was thinking not only of this crash scene here in the shopping mall, she allowed herself to think for just a moment of how different the world is because of the life of Jesus, born so long ago. And it is true. Because of Jesus, the course of human history has been forever changed.

In the first century, the Disciples who originally followed Jesus were able to create such a stir that their communities and their world was remarkably altered. They were even accused by the authorities of turning the whole world upside down, as if that in itself were a crime.

But that was long ago. Over the years it seems as if that radical movement has become way too domesticated. The revolutionary Jesus has become the Christ of the status quo. At least that’s what many among us would say.

But in another sense, whenever men and women, boys and girls, allow their hearts and their pocketbooks and their time commitments to be changed, it is still true that Christmas turns everything upside down.

Back at the mall, Mary Beth picked herself up, and gathered her packages. The other fellow wasn’t hurt too bad. He at least had the good humor to suggest they exchange insurance information like they do at car wrecks. They both apologized and went their separate ways – he into the store; she out to her car.

Needless to say she was late for the Council meeting. As she walked into the Fellowship Hall, with a scowl on her face, she hoped her tardiness was a subtle message to the Moderator to skip the December meeting next year.

She was not in a good mood. She wondered if half these folks even understood what Christmas was really about. As she sat down, she noticed on her agenda a poem the Pastor had included for them to read. But before she could read it, she heard a proposal from a well meaning woman on the Council to buy a new Chandelier for the church. The woman had seen it at Costco and thought it would be just right for them.

“Poor Alice,” Mary Beth thought. “She doesn’t know how these things work.” Alice was new on the board and could not have anticipated the response she was about to receive.

Before the Moderator could say anything, a middle-aged man spoke up. Hank was the self appointed voice of reason on the Church Council. Whenever a proposal to spend was brought forward, he always had something to say and some good reason why the money should NOT be allocated.

“I have three things to say about this request.” He was very determined.

“First, I doubt if anyone can spell the name of the thing, so we probably can't even order it. Second, there is no one in this church who can play it. I am sure of that. And third, instead of this newfangled thing she is proposing, what we really need around here is more light!"

For the second time that evening Mary Beth was grateful she believed in a laughing God. And she could not help but think, “How do people like this become church leaders?” Then she caught herself and said, “But maybe it is more light that we need.”

It is not by accident that Christmas comes at the darkest time of the year. It exists as a deep, nearly unconscious, human longing for warmth and more light – right here in the darkest part of winter.

There are those, you know, who are convinced that Jesus was really born in the springtime, not in winter. They tell us that Shepherds would not be out under the stars tending their sheep in December. It was some other influence, totally unrelated to the ancient writings, that made Christmas a midwinter feast. For whatever reason, there is no doubt that Christmas, as we celebrate it, is a timely event. There is no denying the appropriateness – at least for us in the northern hemisphere -- of celebrating the star light of Christ just when the darkness of the world is most profound.

After Hank’s comments in response to the Chandelier proposal, the moderator completely lost control of the meeting, but Mary Beth was not a part of the ensuing squabble. Instead she was reading what the Pastor had offered them that night, and was nearly in tears at the wonderful message of the Poem in front of her.

Written by Ann Weems and titled Star-Giving, it put the whole evening in perspective for her. This is what she read…

What I'd really like to give you
for Christmas
Is a Star...
Brilliance in a package,
Something you could keep
in the pocket of your jeans
or the pocket of your being.
Something to take out
in times of darkness,
Something that would never
snuff out or tarnish,
Something you could
hold in your hand.
Something for wonderment,
Something for pondering.
Something that would remind you of
What Christmas has always meant;
God's Advent Light
into the darkness of this world.
But Stars are only God's for giving.
And I must be content to give you
words and wishes and
Packages without Stars.
But I can wish you Life
As radiant as the Star
That announced the Christ Child's coming,
And as filled with awe
as the Shepherds who stood
Beneath its Light,
And I can pass on to you
the Love
That has been given to me,
Ignited countless times by others
Who have knelt in Bethlehem's Light.
Perhaps, if you ask,
God will give you a Star.

The rest of the evening was just a blur for Mary Beth. It took about 15 minutes for the moderator to get people’s attention and back to the agenda. She, however, was in another place. As she mused on the poem, to her mind came the Magnificat – Mary’s wonderful song of joy and adoration in the gospel of Luke – words that had been read in church just the previous Sunday, words that seemed to describe the feeling that even now welled up inside her.

She wasn’t sure if she could remember exactly how it went. It was a song that had meant so much as the exclamation of a young woman who found joy despite great stress.

She remembered hearing it said that the song was a response to God’s call for Mary to be the one to bear Jesus. But even more this song was really the voice of the gospel writer Luke and the earliest Christians who had had a profound experience of Jesus raised from the dead. In this song was their expression of great joy, joy in experiencing not only the wonderful birth of Jesus, but a wonderful life from beginning to end, and even beyond its “apparent” end.

Then the first part of Mary’s song came to her...

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is [God’s] name.”

How can someone – anyone, you or me -- find that kind of joy in the midst of the babble and the chaos that we are so good at creating at Advent? I don’t know. I only know that it happened for her.

And I know that the joy Mary sang about is there for us. I also know that it won’t force its way into our hearts and lives. But it can be ours. Because the star still shines, and the darkness has not -- and never will -- overcome the light of that star.

There are a limited number of days left before Christmas. Let that star shine in your life, and let it bring you the joy that God is just waiting to give you.

“Perhaps if you ask,
God will give you a star.”

Steve Shepard
Interim Pastor

The Nugget, Dec 2005

For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us.

Isaiah 9.6

A Christian Ed Director went to his church one Saturday during Advent to put up a sign advertising the upcoming Children’s pageant. As he began putting it all together, he realized he had forgotten the name of the program and the exact dimensions of the sign.

He and his wife had been discussing the pageant just that morning, so he called her for the information. She said she would find the information and call him back. A few minutes later she called but the janitor answered the phone. He was shocked as he relayed a very strange message:

“Unto us a child is born; 8 feet long and 3 feet wide!”

This Advent season at First Congregational Church, we prepare our hearts once again for the gift of Bethlehem. It is a gift that is always much bigger than we can ever imagine. What an awesome thing it is to understand that phenomenal truth yet once more: “To us a child is born!” That is indeed a gift from God that can make our heads spin when we consider the depth of its meaning.

It has meaning for us as we consider this time of transition in which we find ourselves. It has meaning for us as we look with faith to an uncertain future. It has meaning for us as we seek to deepen our spiritual life together as people of God.

With all that will be happening in the church in this month of December, the real challenge is how to appreciate this amazing gift we have been given, and not let all the “busy-ness” keep us from doing that.

Arnold Palmer was invited to play golf in Saudi Arabia some years ago. The King with whom he played was so impressed that he wanted to give Arnie a gift.

“Please,” Palmer said, “That is not necessary.”

“But I insist,” the King replied.

After a moment’s thought, the American golfer said, “How about a nice golf club, then? That would be a pleasant memento of my trip.”

Just before he return to the States, expecting to receive a gold plated driver or a fancy new 9 Iron, Arnie was presented with the TITLE to a golf club, complete with 1,000 acres of real estate, on which was a golf course, club house, trees and all the rest!

Our Sovereign has given us something that boggles our minds as well. As Advent makes its way into Christmas, may each of us receive a truly amazing surprise. Because the gift we have been given is far more exquisite, far more valuable, and carries a far greater promise of peace in our lives and in our world than we think.

May God’s richest blessing be yours this Advent and Christmas. And may the activities and opportunities for worship and witness that you read about in these pages enable you to make this glorious season everything it can be for you and your family.

“Thanks be to God for the inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 5.19)

Steve Shepard
Interim Pastor

The Nugget, Nov 2005

“When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadow
and look out upon the beautiful world,
I think God I am alive.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

November is the month of gratitude.

With gratitude we share in our stewardship campaign this month. No other motivation is sufficient for the promises we make. Yes, the needs are great; yes, giving has been falling off some in recent months; and yes, there will be some special expenditures in the coming year related to the Search Process. But, the best reason to give and to pledge to the church is still a grateful heart, a heart that has known and that appreciates the love of God and church.

With gratitude I want to express how much I appreciate being able to serve you as your Interim Pastor. This first six months that Cindy and I have been with you have made me very thankful for this congregation and the wonderful life that we share together.

Barbara Cartland, in the “Book of Useless Information,” reports that in 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in Paris and was missing for two years. In those two years, more people came to the museum and stared at the blank space on the wall than had viewed the masterpiece in the previous 12 years!

That may indeed seem like a bit of useless information, but maybe not. Because our lives are filled with treasures that we sometimes fail to appreciate until they are no longer there. Then we can only wonder why we did not appreciate them more.

As Thanksgiving approaches, take a moment to ponder the wonders of life all around you that often go unnoticed, and say a prayer of gratitude to God. Do something to show your appreciation to your friends, your church, your neighbors, your family. Appreciate your health, the gift of this day, the beauty of creation and the other masterpieces of God’s making that exist in the world around you.

It was the habit of the Apostle Paul, in writing to churches, to remind them that he continually thanked God for them. Paul knew the importance of prayers of gratitude. Our prayers are often little more than prayers of requests. We sometimes find the whole matter of prayer unexciting or ineffective because we assume it just means asking for things!

The prayer of thanksgiving is the noblest prayer of all. It puts us in a reflective frame of mind. It focuses our attention on good things rather than the negative. It can chase away the critical spirit. It lifts our hearts and broadens our horizons. It gives us a sense of spiritual and emotional well being.

George Herbert wrote,

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more
– a grateful heart;
Not grateful when it pleaseth me
As if they blessings had spare days;
But such a heart, whose pulse may be
Thy praise.

Be thankful and treasure the Mona Lisa’s in your life.

Steve Shepard

Interim Pastor