From the Minister

Disillusion Me!

2010-02-02T10:46:00.002-08:00

Jesus comes to some fisher people at the end of their working day -- it is morning after a long night of fishing. They have caught no fish and they are filled with ideas about their failure to catch fish, their inability to take care of themselves, their just plain dumb luck. They are caught up in it all: there are no fish to be had, we are failures as fishermen and there is no hope, our families will go hungry. In the course of the discussion Jesus tells their leader Peter to throw the nets into the deep water. By doing so, he will come up with a big catch. Peter caught up in his sense of failure and disappointment speaks his sense of failure and hopelessness to Jesus: We've been out all night and have caught nothing. Why bother now? Jesus responds, "Well, just do it." Peter and his companions pull so many fish on board that the boat nearly capsizes.
As we carry our disappointments with life into the present, we believe that they are predictive of what is to come. Peter thought that there were no fish to be had because he caught no fish last night. If we are sad, we tend to believe that we will carry that sadness wherever we go. Jesus shows Peter that these limiting thoughts are an illusion, a thought that pulls us into a fantasy world. Peter believes in the fantasy of no fish. Jesus shows him not so -- here and now, a record catch. Jesus seeks to rid him of his illusion inviting him to participate in his life. He "dis-illusions" Peter.
I have been thinking a lot about being dis-illusioned. Even though I may feel bad as my illusions about life, religion, relationships, etc...are "dissed," it is always a good thing. Yes, I said always. If illusions keep me from the realities that confront me from day to day, what good are they -- I'd rather have them shown for what they are and "pull in the catch," the abundance that life offers. We talk about these sorts of things in church. See you Sunday.

Blessings, David

2010-01-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

“In the Beginning was the word…”

-The Gospel of John, Chapter 1, verse 1

Say the word and you'll be free
Say the word and be like me
Say the word I'm thinking of
Have you heard the word is love?
It's so fine, It's sunshine
It's the word, love

-The Word, Lennon/McCartney

Dear Friends,

There is a little song I learned back in the 90’s that brings the Gospel of John together with the Beatles’ song, The Word:

Love, Love, Love, Love,

The Gospel in One Word is Love,

Love your Neighbor as Yourself,

Love, Love, Love

And that’s it. As human beings we are called by the Gospel, the Good News. Leaving all belief aside, the gospel in one word is love. Love calls us into prayer – a closer communion with what is present in our lives, a closer communion with God. Love calls us into service. In Love we sense our kinship with all humanity, seeing how no one is left out of the equation. With a deep empathy we reach out.

The Good News, the Gospel in one Word is Love. This Good News Word found expression in Christ, and seeks expression in us each moment of the day.

Two significant things are happening this month at our church: February 14, Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday and Feb. 17 is the beginning of Lent.

I hope you will make every attempt to be in church on February 14. We will be having a Love Fest and a Love Feast. In morning worship we will sing Love songs, sacred and secular. We will read love chapters from the Bible and poems from some of our greatest poets. It will be a delicious worship service. And following 10:30 worship there will be a delicious meal served in Friendship Hall, the Love Feast. This will be a tremendous morning AND a great way to bring a friend (someone you love) to church. All church guests will eat free! I look forward to greeting you on St. Valentine’s Day, February 14.

We begin the season of Lent on Weds., February 17, with two Ash Weds. Observances – the first will be after Bible Study, 11:30 am. The second will be at 7 pm during our Meditation time. That is Weds, Feb. 17. See more about Lent in this Newsletter.

The last verse of the Beatles’ song goes:

Give the word a chance to say
That the word is just the way
It's the word I'm thinking of
And the only word is love
It's so fine, It's sunshine
It's the word, love

Love,

David

Love is our Mission -- Martin the Cobbler

2010-01-25T17:07:00.000-08:00

We fear Leo Tolstoy, or at least his masterwork, War and Peace. While known as the author of that epic novel, Tolstoy also wrote short stories the most famous of which is Martin the Cobbler, also known as Where There is Love, God will be there Too. The story begins with Martin whose wife has died and left him with one living son. Through a series of unfortunate events his only son dies and Martin is beside himself with grief, seeing no way out of his unhappiness. He is visited by an old friend of his who is a monk. The monk counsels his friend to read the Bible in order to find a new foundation for his life. Martin follows his friend’s advice.

One night as Martin is reading he hears someone call his name, “Martin, Martin, look out onto the street tomorrow for I will come to visit you.” Martin sleeps and the next day it is all Martin can do to keep to his work cobbling shoes: his gaze is out onto the street watching people pass by. There are a series of people who come by Martin’s window. There is Stephen, the old man indentured to the man across the street shoveling snow. Next a young woman with a baby who is cold and in need of food walks by the window. Finally, he sees an altercation between an old woman street merchant and a young street urchin stealing her apples. In each instance Martin addresses the needs of the folks in front of his window. Still, he wonders, “Where is the Lord?”

Martin continues his reading of scripture when he senses people in the room with him. They are the people Martin helped that day; Stephen, the woman and her baby, the merchant woman and the street urchin. They each disappear as he notices them. Turning to the scripture, Martin reads, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. As Martin read down the page, he came upon this: “When you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me.”

Tolstoy concludes, “And Avdeich understood that he was not deceived, that it was as though his Savior had come to him on that day, and just as though he had received Him.”

The story of Martin the Cobbler is worth spending time with. You can find it here: http://www1.umn.edu/lol-russ/PopLit/where_love_is,_there_is_god_also.htm

This Sunday we will be celebrating our Mission Sunday. We will have a special speaker, John Records, the founder and director for the Committee on the Shelterless (COTS). Also, representatives of the various local missions which we support will be present during coffee hour ready to address your questions and offer you opportunities for service. Ten organizations will be present.

For our Mission we remember, “That where love is, there is God also.”

Blessings,

David

New Year -- All Things New!

2009-12-28T12:50:00.001-08:00

Behold, I Make All Things New!

-Revelation 21

Happy New Year! And Grace and Peace to you for 2010. Every year we do it: we watch the ball or is it an apple, drop from the building on Times Square. When it hits bottom, the fireworks light the sky, the whoops and hollers reach become a cacophonous din, champaign flows, and kisses abound. Hope is found anew, another year begins. The following day is a big holiday -- the roads are clear as people stay home and enjoy a time apart from the hustle and bustle of their lives. This is wonderful, it is good. However, at its very best the new year serves as a reminder that the Holy Mystery that we know as God in Christ is continually making all things new -- each and every moment of our lives. So, enjoy your new year and remember that each moment is a celebration of the newness that is ours in Jesus Christ.

Valleys Raised -- Mountains Laid Low

2009-12-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

We are taking it easy with Advent. As the autumn skies move to winter, as the days lengthen and the dark descends we linger and keep company with the the following verses from Isaiah:

3A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

If we were not so involved with our lives, that is, if we could step back and have a little distance on our experience, we would find that life, indeed, is very interesting. We are immersed in mystery and have very little control over what happens to us or to those we love. At times we feel that we have entered the bare place, without landmark and assurance -- the wilderness. It is right here, on the brink of desolation, that we hear it: the voice -- a call. Isaiah says, "a voice cries out." For some of us this is an inner call, for others it comes through the senses, for still others it is found in the love that we experience with lovers and friends. This voice calls, but it does not reassure, it does not make it all better, it does not take away pain. It simply speaks and says, "PREPARE."

About ten years ago, a friend of mine was having trouble moving out into the world. He spent much of his time in bed late into the morning, lingering on the couch into the afternoon. He was not satisfied with much in his life -- his work, his faith, his relationships, his prospects. As he spoke of this time he spoke words from the Christian tradition. He called it his "dark night of the soul." One night deep into this time he had a dream. A large figure, maybe it was more a presence came to him, suggesting that he "clean up," that he was getting a visitor. It was four in the morning and my friend got out of bed, took a shower, shaved, had breakfast and began to clean the house. Then he waited. No one came. So, he cleaned the garage. He finished with the house so he cleaned the yard. Then he washed the car. It continued on like this when he thought of himself -- so he resolved to quit doing things that he thought unhelpful to himself and others. As he cleaned up, he noticed: he was the one who had come to visit. He had come to occupy his own life, his own loves. From that point, he looked at life anew.

Life is a mystery. At times the mystery, darkness, seem to overwhelm -- not knowing about one's life and destiny becomes more than we can bear. A voice calls in the night; a voice in the wilderness, as Isaiah puts it, calls to us: PREPARE. For what? we might ask. Just simply prepare, make straight a path. As we prepare we are invited to notice our lives, to notice the hope that is already present to us-- the light that shines even in our darkness. Notice -- that though the valleys seem low, there is a way through. Notice -- that though the mountains seem insurmountable there is a way over. Notice -- we are the ones who come to visit -- hope lives in us.

Jesus was born into a dark time. Mary and Joseph on the move to be counted by Roman occupiers, could only find accommodation in a stable in Bethlehem. When Jesus was born only a few folks knew about his birth -- there were a few working stiffs on the night shift, watching the sheep, some angels, and of course Mary and Joseph. The rest of the world was clueless. Yet, new life came in this night. God had visited God's people.

Christ is the one who comes to visit. When we are in the midst of our 'dark night,' as the voice calls and we notice hope, as we discern peace, as we awaken to love, as we come home to ourselves, we come home to the light that has been lit in our darkness, we come home to Christ. Jesus was born in a stable. Here the light was lit. Now it is Advent. As we move into the darkness of our lives, the mystery of life itself, simply notice that hope lives in the deep down of things. PREPARE.

Blessings,

David

This is It! Put Your Whole Self In!

2009-11-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

All of me
Why not take all of me

-Jazz Standard written by Marks and Simons, 1931

As you may know, I have been taking West African Drum lessons for over a year. I have my patient teachers to thank for what little progress I have made. Also, I have them to thank for opening my life to wonderful rhythms, abundant rhythms filled with life. Today, I am thinking about the rhythms that I have learned over the last year. What is clear to me is that although I drum with my hands, drumming, rhythm has more to do with my whole self, my whole body, than it does with my hands. If I had no hands, I would still have rhythm, a rhythm that could be expressed through dance, by bobbing my head...whatever. This human capacity for rhythm is something that involves my whole self. In short, to drum, to dance, to sing, I have to "put my whole self in."

That is the way it is with faith. Some have said that faith is a verb. That means that “we faith” -- faith is something that we do. I don't know about you, but when I do something it involves all of me. Typing this for example -- it is not just fingers. It is my brain, it is the way my feet are on the floor, my eyes focused on the monitor, my straight back in the chair, my eyes following the letters as I put them up on the monitor. It is not even a matter of putting your whole self in to an action -- your whole self is in every action you take. So, in this season of stewardship we are aware that whenever we do anything it takes all of who we are, body, mind, spirit, soul. Stewardship asks us to look at how we approach our faith. As they say in gambling circles, are we “all in?”

All of me

It takes all of me

-Jazz Standard, 1931, improvised upon by DPR, 2009

It takes all of who we are. That is how we are called into our lives. We aren’t born in pieces you know. It takes all of us. And that is how we approach the abundance of life that we known as a community of faith. It takes all of me to live a faithful life. This means, of course, full involvement in my faith. In the last weeks, we have tried to help you think about what “all of me” means. We have asked you to consider going 5 for 5. Putting your whole self in means worshiping, learning, doing, connecting and giving. This Sunday, you will have an opportunity to express yourself by putting your whole self in. Please bring your 5 for 5 form to church along with your faith promise card. Experience again what it means to fully engage your life through careful stewardship of your life.

Blessings,

David

Put Your Whole Self In: Giving

2009-11-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

Two members of our congregation died over the last week. Warren Kreml was a minister who gave his life to the ministry, always on the leading edge. A real pioneer, Warren put his whole self in, generously holding nothing back. And the same is true for Corrine Orr, a life-long teacher, who gave herself - heart, mind and soul - to the children that she taught throughout her life. She taught in our Sunday School up to just a few years ago. These two fine human beings, Warren and Corrine, are find examples of what it means to put your whole self in through your generosity, by giving.

Paul calls generosity a gift of the spirit. Why would this be? When I look at generosity I look at my hands. Hands can grasp or they can open. Hands can hold tight or they can let go. What Paul is saying about generosity is that it is a divine gift to open and let go. Just thinking about it a little bit I see how this is true. Look at how much in our culture is oriented towards grasping and holding. Our economy is based on grasping and holding -- companies make stuff and advertisers tell us how we can't live without more stuff. It goes so far that our whole identities get caught up in grasping and holding -- we are called consumers, we are those who grasp and hold, who are encouraged to find ourselves in what we own. But, look at your hands. The grasping hand is tight fist, holding on for dear life. Our culture is all about grasping and holding. The natural tendency that we have to look out for ourselves is exploited and we grasp and hold on as if our life depends on it. Wars are fought as collectively we grasp and hold on to oil, territory, and rigid ideology. Generosity is different from this.

The generous hand opens as we notice our generous hearts, as we notice the empathy and compassion that wells up within us, sometimes despite ourselves. This "sometimes despite ourselves," is the place to look for the spiritual gift. Spirit ties us together, helps us to be aware that we are one body, all part of one another. As are lives are so intimately tied we are open to one another and hands open. The generous hand is the hand that opens to give, to massage, to sooth, to teach, to heal. The generous hand opens because, in community, we have nothing to lose. Life will ebb and flow, stuff will come and go, but as part of one another we all have what we need. Period. If you need a listening ear, in community we are there generously giving to one another. If you need, a meal in community we are there generously giving to one another. It feels good to be generous. In generosity there is really no giver and receiver. In generosity there is the flowing of energy and life through community. No one really holds on as we are caught in the flow of generosity. With open hands we hold the hands of others, we are constantly passing back and forth to one another and like fountains our hearts spring forth in generosity towards all Creation. This sort of generosity is well reflected in the last verse of the hymn, "My Life Flow On in Endless Song!"

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His-
How can I keep from singing?

I give thanks for the lives of Warren and Corrine. I give thanks for the generosity with which they lived their lives, for the good of all. So, Let's take a look at our hands as we contemplate the theme, "Put Your Whole Self In: Giving.

Blessings, David

Put Your Whole Self In: Connecting

2009-10-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

Put Your Whole Self In: Connecting!

The play "Streetcar Named Desire," is about loneliness and love, about connection and the life that is lived, tragically, without connection. Blanche Du Bois, the heroine is trying to hold her life together. With her world falling apart, she is looking for solid ground, for a center to her life. In a way familiar to all of us she is looking for love, for a deep connection to another human being. The play really is quite sad as Blanche grasps for love in her life, ceaselessly talking, repelling the very people to whom she would be connected.

But, then something seems to turn in her life. Blanche meets a man named Mitch. Mitch, too, is very lonely. He is overweight and shy. Blanche shares with him one of the tragic and painful moments of her life. This strikes Mitch as he takes her in his arms and says, "You need somebody and I need somebody too. Could it be you and me, Blanche?” She looks at Mitch and with tears in her eyes she says this, "Sometimes -- there's God -- so quickly."

That's how it can happen in our lives, they turn, so quickly. We long for human contact, for the connections to be made, connections that will run deep in our lives that will strike us to the soul, binding us to another. And it happens -- just like that. I am amazed at how quickly those changes have come in my life. The heart reflexively turns, and in turning says "Yes" to love, "Yes" to a deep connection to Life. When we say yes to God in this way, as we affirm our human connection to the Divine, we find that we experience a re-orientation in our lives, what Jesus referred to as being "born from above," or what we know of as being "born again."

The connections that we make in our lives are where we find reason to live, connected to God and to one another. In this our lives have depth and purpose. This Sunday we will be celebrating the human and the divine connections that make us who we are in Love, in Christ. I look forward to seeing you all in church.

Blessings, David

Advent and the New Day

2009-10-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

I was writing my newsletter article for November and found myself out on the proverbial tangential limb. Here is the result. See how it begins like a newsletter and veers into the esoteric. I offer it up to you. David

As we move into November the trees change color and remind me that winter is coming. I become aware of the darkening world, the long nights and short days. November and December remind me of things ending, the end of another cycling of days which we call a year. Just when the nights seem the longest, the world's spiritual traditions proclaim a light within the dark, a calling into a new year, a new day. In the church we call this new year's day "the first Sunday of Advent." The newness of life invites us to participate, invites us to welcome the light of the world. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "the glory of the Lord shall be revealed."

One place that revelation comes to us is in scripture. Scripture is many things: in our scripture we can find a moral code for the good life, we can read great stories -- the very stories that inform us about who we are and where we come from . In scripture we discover "our people," the people who preceded us in faith. One often overlooked quality of scripture is that scripture also reveals, it removes the veil of our illusions and introduces us to "reality," our real lives as they are lived, in Paul's words, "in Christ." For the study of scripture Isaiah's words might again work, "the glory of God shall be revealed."

Some people have asked me why we are studying koans on Wednesday night. The koan tradition comes to us from China and is thousands of years old. The intention of koans is to help us have a direct vision of reality, to see things as they are rather than as we imagine them to be. I thought that it would be an interesting project to apply the centuries old study of koans to our own Christian scripture. An example of a scripture that can be read as a koan might be this saying of Jesus:

"The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst."

To read this as a koan would be to begin to ask questions of oneself, each question leading you more directly into reality itself. Examples of these questions might be: Where is the kingdom of God? How do you enter the kingdom of God? Show me the kingdom of God. See how the questions ask us to put our finger on something that does not come "with careful observation?" Instead, the koan and the questions invite you to directly experience "the kingdom of God" in your life. To be lead into spiritual experience is a gift. A reading of scripture from this perspective is an invitation into the continuous renewal of our lives. To read scripture thus might well fulfill Isaiah's, "the glory of God shall be revealed."

So, as Advent approaches, get ready for new year's day. For the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.

Blessings,

David

Transformation from the Ground Up

2009-09-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Winnie Hogoboom and I had the occasion to be part of a group that met with UCC President-elect Geoffrey Black. We joined with members of other UCC churches and Rev. Black as he began his “listening tour” of UCC Conferences and Churches throughout the United States. It was a good meeting.

The high point for me was a conversation I had with Bennett Guess, our denomination’s Director of Communications. What he said to me was that while in the past the UCC has directed its efforts towards local churches, this emphasis has shifted. Now the National Office of the UCC directs its publicity and communications to individuals. At first, this may seem to be an example of placing the em pha sis on the wrong syl la ble. But, I found it interesting. In many ways, I saw in Bennett’s comment a model for growth in the UCC. We move from personal to communal to societal transformation. The UCC’s identification of the individual as the bedrock of church growth is essential for us to become a vital church in the 21^st Century.

Personal Transformation

When people come to a church nowadays more often than not they are looking for a transformation in their lives. Often people come in personal periods of transition – as they move from youth into adulthood, from single life into marriage, from young adulthood into middle age and from middle age into the elder years. At each period of transition, life changes and common questions arise: How does this make sense? What is my relationship to God and the universe now? Who am I in this new role? What happened to my old life? How am I called into the newness of each moment? Our faith provides us not with answers but with a direction with which we can address these basic questions of human life. The movement towards faith in the midst of transition asks us to live our lives more deeply. People come to church looking to re-orient their lives, for an opportunity to step outside of themselves as they emerge into something unknown, mysterious and new – a something they sense to be in their favor, that feels like relationship and which only serves to deepen their experience of life. In the Christian tradition we come to know this re-orientation as “being in Christ.”

Communal Transformation

The movement of personal transformation naturally moves from “me” to “we.” As we begin to live “in Christ” we find our neighbors and friends present to us, dwelling with us in the larger identity that we each have found. As we are “in Christ” we move into “Christ’s body,” the church. Our personal transformation becomes communal – “me” becomes “we.” Community becomes central to who we are. We are further re-oriented, or transformed as we discover our common life. We are more than a club, we find, we are part of one another.

Societal Transformation or “Changing the World”

Just as personal transformation is not just for us as it grows into communal transformation, our community life is not simply for ourselves together. There is a natural movement as the “body of Christ,” that is, the Church, takes on Christ’s concerns for the worlds. As the body of Christ, we take up Jesus’ way in the world: a way of blessing, compassion, and peace. Taking up Jesus’ Way with humility and grace, we become the ears, eyes, arms, legs and hands of Christ in the world. As a group we find ways of acting compassionately in the world.

Transformation

Jesus’ Way is a way of transformation and light. We move from noisy, uncentered and cluttered lives to lives filled with purpose and new life. This new life settles into our whole lives. It changes how we are as individuals, who we are as a church, and how we manifest our faith in a world in need of healing and transformation. This is no fooling around. Our faith makes all the difference in the world, literally. And it starts with you in your worship, your prayer, your study, your deepening life. As we join together, we make the difference.

Love,

David

2009-08-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow in church we will be talking about Hope. Kicking off a series that will run from now through much of September, we will be see how life, faith and trust builds from the real experience of something. As Emily Dickinson says, "Hope is a thing with feathers" It is a real thing, maybe a sense or a perception but something that can be counted on as one builds one's life in Christ. Below is a Wordle for tomorrow's sermon. Enjoy.

Jesus and Religion

2009-08-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I asked the following question on my Facebook page:

I have heard it said by some that they admire Jesus, it is religion they cannot stand.What about you? I was surprised to get a variety of responses -- from members of the First Congregational UCC, from people in my United Church of Christ denomination and from folks seemingly not interested in religion, yet respectful of Christ. So, I thought I'd blog a bit about this.

When asked a similar question about Jesus by a Christian missionary, Ghandi responded, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ." We Christians are giving Christ a bad name. So, what about the question?

In her response, Mary suggests that it is difficult to discuss politics and religion -- that she prefers not to do it. Fair enough, one can run into major problems as one discusses these things -- wars have been fought, people have died. Yet, is there anything else to talk about -- really. When I talk religion, I am talking about the deeper things in life. As I talk politics I am talking about how I hope to live with the rest of humanity. When it comes round to it almost all conversation is political and religious. AND such talk is dangerous.

If I talk about my religion as if it is the only take on the truth, or my politics is the only answer to our common life, I will get resistance, and conflict will ensue. So, open conversation about these things, dialogue, is important. However, such conversation mostly gets us into the realm of our opinions and ideas about things. At thier best, these conversations lead to understanding, and sometimes change in our common life. However, I have a need to move more deeply into my life, into an experience of love, grace, compassion. So, for me it comes down to what another one of the respondants on points to when he quotes Jesus', "Who do you say I am?" That is for each one of us to contemplate. Interestingly, as we contemplate this we also come to a deeper appreciation of the age-old question, "Who am I?"

So, for me my approach to this question is a christian approach. This does not mean that I will make anyone or anything infallible (Pope or Bible). It does not mean that I swallow it all, hook, line and sinker - the virgin birth, etc....I think it means that I have entered a relationship (which I am not even sure is personal) with Christ. In one way of thinking, I have hitched a ride on the "Jesus Train." That is that the stories and the teachings of Jesus offer me a journey into the depths of life, into the the key perceptions that will lead me to a sense of identity (It is not I who live but Christ who lives in me -- Paul in Galatians), which will dispose me towards more loving and compassionate actions in the world.

To have a living community of people on a similar path helps me a great deal, we support each other as we live our lives in the direction that Jesus has set forth. All of a sudden, because of the need for community we have a church (a community of people) and we have politics and we invite the full catastrophe that is our human life together. But, this too is a spiritual practice: how do we move into the world and community with love, grace and compassion? How does our identity form our community so that it is the Life of the Universe that lives in and through us? How do we, in community, foster our collective humanity rather than becoming a hypocritical embarassment to our deepest selves.

So, that's a bloggy ramble.

Blessings,

David

Holy Spirit

2009-07-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I have been teaching confirmation class over the last few months. Four of us get together every so often. We draw pictures and talk. Sometimes we talk about the church and beliefs handed down by the church over the years. Since those I am conversing with are 13 to 16 years old, it is always a challenge: best not use "church speak." So today we talked about the Holy Spirit.

We started by looking at the first book of the Bible, Genesis, where we read about the wind of God hovering over the waters. Then we turned to the 20th chapter of the gospel of John that has Jesus giving his disciples the Holy Spirit by breathing on them. Then off to the 2nd Chapter of Acts where the Spirit rushes around the room like a 'great wind." We also noticed in Acts that the image of fire, specifically "tongues of fire" stood in for the Holy Spirit. Lots of breath, breathing, wind -- moving air. And this is what we noticed about the Spirit. Like wind, like breath, you can feel the Spirit but you cannot see it. Further, if you try to capture Spirit - put it in a box, can it - it eludes you. Who has ever captured the moving wind? As we talked in confirmation this seemed important -- not just doctrinely important, but important for our lives.

It is often said that the best things in life cannot be captured, held, bought or sold: they are free and wild, often appearing when we least expect it. Think about love -- one doesn't manufacture or buy love (thank you Lennon and McCartney) one "falls" into love. And you know what falling is like: you are walking on the sidewalk, trip on a crack and before you know it you are on the ground. Since love is like falling it is not something that we can plan. You just fall. You just feel love. All this feels like the Holy Spirit. You cannot see it, you cannot feel it and as those gathered together on Pentecost learned it can be pretty wild, showing up in way that can never be planned doing what it will.

So, where do we experience the Holy Spirit? In chapters 12 and 13 of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians Paul talks about the gifts of the Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit "come" to people unbidden. The gifts of the Spirit are such that some people preach and others teach, some speak in tongues and others interpret what is said in tongues, etc.... Gifts come to people. Put these gifts together and community is enhanced. And we know this: sometimes we marvel at how well our communities work -- we can feel it, we can look at the gifts but when we ask how, we can't see it. That is the nature of a gift, it appears. We might say that it is the Holy Spirit. But what does that mean? One can feel it but not see it or grasp it.

When Paul gets to Chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians he speaks of the spiritual gift of love. He calls it the greatest spiritual gift. So, the greatest spiritual gift: you cannot see, you cannot grasp it, buy or sell it. But, you know it is there. As you fall into it, you can feel it. It is a strong feeling, so strong that it becomes the glue to community -- it is the strength of our togetherness. Love does what it will, forming community as it will. In many ways we are along for the ride. That being said, the bonds of love are the glue of life. That is why in the church we say that the Holy Spirit fosters our community, makes us the Church.

That's what I learned in confirmation class today. Thank you Kaley, Sarah and Landon! The Spirit is like wind or breath or fire -- it cannot be grasped, or contained. The Spirit comes bearing gifts -- our lives are unpredictably transformed. The Spirit binds us together, makes us one as it flows through our lives.

Blessings,

David

The Church Builds - First Samoan Congregational Christian United Church of Christ.

2009-06-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Today I visited with members of the First Samoan Congregational Christian Church, UCC at their building site. As you know the First Samoan CCUCC has been meeting in our church building for many years. Most Sundays as we are leaving the building, they are coming into the building. The women are usually the first to arrive loaded up with flowers and colorful cloth for their altar space. We have had a wonderful relationship with our Samoan brothers and sisters over the years. For three years we were lucky enough to have them worshipping with us once a month. We have always enjoyed the spirit that they bring to worship, often in awe at their singing.

They are starting a new chapter in their life. Soon there will be two United Church of Christ buildings in the the city of Santa Rosa. Where before they visited us in our building and at our worship service, we will soon be able to visit with them in their building for their worship service. That will be a joyous occasion as we continue on as sister congregations. I am overjoyed to know that they have a thriving congregation, one able to take on a building project in the midst of the current economic downturn. So, as they have blessed us over the years, now we bless them with good wishes for this new chapter in their life.

Blessings,

David

Small Groups -- Half-Way Through?

2009-05-19T10:19:00.001-07:00

We are at the mid-way point with our "Awakening the Heart" Small Group program at First Congregregational UCC. Between 60 and 70 people are taking part in the program with 7 groups meeting on a regular basis. This is a vital time for our church as people deepen their faith and begin to experience new ways in being the Church in the 21st Century. I have a few reflections I'd like to share with you as I make a report here at the half-way point.

Cultivating a Culture of Transformation. Through small groups, our members have begun to appreciate the church as a place for transformation: of self, community and for society. As people have shared their spiritual life and experiences in the small group setting, they they have found their hearts warmed and opening to others -- some for the first time in 40+ years of church experience. The successful church in the 21st Century is attentive to the spirit present in people's lives and spiritual community. In our particular context this happens best in small groups.
On Sabbatical. During our small group process the boards of our church have been on Sabbatical. We have been asking folks to attend to their spiritual lives and to the spiritual life of our community -- not the business of being the church. This has been a wonderful success. We have been wonderfully surprised as God has carried the life of our congregation as we have enjoyed Sabbath Time.
Ideas about Prayer. In our small groups people have had their conceptions concerning prayer challenged and opened up. People have become familiar with "listening prayer," a prayer of open heart and mind, silent rather than chatty, welcoming of God's spirit. Also, as the groups have spoken about prayer they have found that everyday actions performed "prayerfully" serve to open folks up to the ever present reality of God-with-us/God-in-us. On another note, one group found themselves de-emphasizing the notion of "praying for"others, substituting the notion of "praying with" others
Theology. The elephant in the room for our small group experience is that the theology of the book that we are using as a guide to our discussion is more conservative than that of many of the small group participants. In most groups this particular elephant has been recognized, called out, and acknowledged, the conversation flowing freely from where people are rather than where the book might place them. The theology of "Unbinding the Gospel" has not been a great impediment to our discussions.
Each Group -- a Life of Its Own. Each group has taken up its own life, regulating itself so that all have an opportunity to participate in the discussion as the life of the group evolves. In this way, no two groups look exactly the same as each group becomes a community of transformation for the persons present in that group.
Leadership has been Excellent. Small group leaders have met regularly over the course of the small group experience. All speak of the personal gratification and hope for the church that is their's in participating in the small group process. They are excited as they experience growth, personal and communal, in their small group.
Worship Attendance Consistent. As we have navigated the small group program, worship attendance has been consistent for both servcies -- during a time of the year where historically worship attendance is low. With our small groups we have seen a strengthening of the larger church community. As spiritual lives have been deepened through small groups, the spiritual life of the broader FCUCCSR community has been strengthened.
What's Next? What will happen to small groups in the church once this series ends? Good question. We will talk about this is in our small groups and among the leaders of the small groups. And we will keep you posted.
And a reminder: June 21st, Small Group Invite a Friend Picnic Sunday. On June 21st our 10:30 am worship will be held in our church parking lot. A potluck lunch will be enjoyed after worship. Highlights: Trad Jazz, Ray Walker's Dixieland Jazz Group will provide music for worship. Also, West African Drumming and Dance with Adwoa Kudoto.

So far, so good. We are at the half way point. So far our attention has focused on our own spiritual lives. In the second half of the program we will shift towards thinking about our community at FCUCCSR and of how to "reach-out" to our neighbors and friends. As we have been challenged by our own definitions of spirituality and prayer, we will be challenged to think of new ways to be a transforming community -- a community that is as concerned about its neighbors as it is about itself. These are times for stretching our life, in spirit and community.

Blessings,

David

Saving Paradise: Reflections on the Eucharist (Communion)

2009-05-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Rita Nakashima Brock, co-author, along with Rebecca Parker, of the book "Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire visited with our congregation. It was a marvelous, eye-opening two days. We considered what a transformed/transforming church might look like as we come to a understanding of our spiritual community as Paradise on earth, a community steeped in the here and now reality of the Resurrected Christ. Since the weekend, I have been thinking a great deal about communion.

Communion

The earliest Eucharists were celebrations of the abundance of life available to us in the Resurrected Christ. These Eucharists focused not on the "night of his betrayal and desertion," or in memorializing Jesus' death, but rather were shaped by remembrances of the signs of abundance present in the ministry and life of Jesus Christ. In particular, many of these liturgies focused on Jesus' feeding of the 5000. The earliest Christian liturgies were concerned with Paradise and eternity as it broke through into the world and into human life. The Eucharist was not a sharing in Christ's death. Rather, it was a remembrance of eternity as it breaks through in the here and now of human life, a life transformed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As I learned of these ancient celebrations of the abundance of life I thought of our own communion service. We celebrate communion every week at our 8:30 service and every month at our 10:30 service. The order for those services follows the order handed down in the church over the last 1000 years. It is a commemoration of the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples. It is here that we remember the words "my body broken for you," and "this is my blood.' These are the words not used in the earliest liturgies of the church, just the words used as the church shifted from its focus on the resurrected Christ to the dead Jesus. In Saving Paradise, Brock and Parker suggest a return to the earliest liturgies. What would this mean?

It would mean that the the Eucharist would not be a remembrance of "death, betrayal and desertion," but rather a celebration of the already present Paradise on earth opened by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It would mean that the words used to celebrate communion would be words of life, resurrection, abundance, courage in adversity, justice, peace and joy.
It would mean that the communion might not be solely a bread and grape juice/wine communion. Rather, our communion might include other gifts/signs of abundance -- signs of God's immediate presence.
It would mean that all the people would be welcome to bring gifts to the table. God is abundantly gracious to all people -- all people bring gifts to the table.
There would be gifts left-over -- and we can't hold the gifts of God for ourselves. We would share our abundance with the poor. In this way we would open the table for all.

Over the next weeks, the 8:30 service will be a "lab" for re-imagining/re-constructing our communion service. People are invited to bring their gifts to the table, as we avail ourselves of the blessings of eternity sharing these blessings with all. If you would like to help in this re-imagining come to church at 8:30 or stop me for a conversation.

Blessings,

David

I've decided....

2009-04-07T11:12:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone!

So, I've decided this: I want to be about Easter always and in all ways. Despite all appearences, love, joy, beauty, peace -- RESURRECTION! -- is the foundation of my life. Christ is risen in my whole life -- in every life (and if you are reading this -- in yours too). Christ is risen in all beings, in creation itself.

So, even when I feel bad, when I think that I'm sunk and the world is going to hell in a handbasket -- even when such thoughts become obessions and all the evidence seems to back me up -- even and especially then (how to punctuate this?) -- I want to be about Easter, to remember that Life is all, God is all and in all. Every morning the Sun rises, and every day is filled with beauty.

Then there is this thought: on the day of my dying, it will still be beautiful. I would like to be risen like that -- to remember that on the day I kiss it all good-bye, someone will be looking at the sun set over Mount Tamalpais and be lost in wonder.

Love,

David

Awakening the Heart: Small Groups for Spiritual Growth

2009-03-18T15:00:00.001-07:00

Awakening the Heart:

Small Groups for Spiritual Growth

“Our Hearts are Awake!”

“But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began as we came to faith. We can't afford to waste a minute….”

Romans 13:11ff (The Message Bible Paraphrase)

We are aware that God is at work in our church. The good news is extended to all, we help others find their voice, folks are helped, fed and given shelter through actions of our community of faith. God is good and we are blessed by God’s presence in our midst. Let us give thanks that we continue to do God’s work and that we are continuing to grow.

In the rhythm of God’s abundance, we are aware that just as there is a time for action, there is a time for reflection, spiritual conversation and growth in the spirit. A wonderful place to do this is in small groups. A few years back we experienced this through our Circles program. Now we are taking Circles to the next level: “Awakening the Heart.”

“Awakening the Heart” is an opportunity to grow spiritually in small groups. Over 6 weeks we will pray together, engage in spiritual conversation and begin to learn how to share the joy of our life in spirit and community. “Awakening the Heart” is an opportunity to open to our lives, to their depth and beauty. As we so richly encounter life we find our lives blossoming and beginning to flow out to neighbors and friends.

Groups begin the week of April 26 and run up to June 7.

Women's Recovery Services --Walking the Talk

2009-03-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

How is God alive in this world? Where is there hope? How can we be part of the solutions that life invites us to impart to others? By living compassionately and in loving support of those in need. A place where God is alive in this world is Women's Recovery Services (WRS), an addiction treatment program for women. Through you mission giving you are helping to support this excellent program, helping to save the lives of women and children who have benefited from the work of WRS .
As part of our church's effort to stay informed about the organizations in our community which we support, I went to WRS with members of our Outreach Board. I was deeply impressed -- Women's Recovery Services is an organization that does what it says it will do and does it well.

The Mission Statement of WRS says, "The mission of Women's Recovery Services is to assist alcohol, chemically and nicotine dependent women in their recovery from the disease of addiction...We offer the means for change of attitude and outlook whereby purposeful sobriety may take place.
As I said, I was deeply impressed by WRS. Twenty women and their children live at WRS. They work hard for their recovery, each day is filled with learning life skills, attending 12 step groups, learning parenting skills, learning to communicate with others and being engaged in activities and groups which enhance self-esteem. WRS has a comprehensive and effective program. The clients at WRS are fully involved in their recovery. Many rehab programs are 30 days in length. At WRS the women are in treatment for 90 days with options for transitional housing and aftercare once treatment is finished. A doctor and a nurse provide medical care to the women at WRS. In addition, there is a child care provider who tends to the children while mothers are engaged in their program.
Cheryl Stanley has been Executive Director of WRS for 14 years. She manages a successful enterprise that is healthy financially with the ability to do what they have committed themselves to -- they walk the talk.
You can rest assured that our monthly support of Women's Recovery Services is a wonderful expression of our ministry here at First Congregational UCC. If you would like to give more to Women's Recovery Services you can do so at their website.

Blessings, David

Re-membering Paradise

2009-02-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

This Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, we will be reading the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as recorded in the gospel of Luke. Specifically, we will be considering the two thieves being crucified with Jesus -- the one on his right and the one on his left. The one thief is as bitter and upset as anyone might be under the circumstances -- he derides Jesus, echoing the cries of the crowd, "If you are the son of God save yourself and us! The second thief make a curious turn -- he tells the other thief -- "we deserve this, he doesn't" and then he turns to Jesus, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus responds to this, "Today, you are with me in Paradise." I find this a very interesting conversation, happening at a very unexpected time.

What strikes me most deeply is that the second thief remembered Paradise. He remembered that life is greater than it often seems. For those thieves the situation could not have been more dire: death was hours away. Yet, one thief saw into eternity, tasted directly the grace of God. His response to Jesus was "remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus responded to him with the obvious: "Today you are with me in Paradise." This is the basic fact of our lives: that no matter how we feel, whatever may be happening to us, we can open our hearts and minds to eternity. Tasting eternity we realize that Paul was right when he said in Romans, "nothing can separate us from the love of God."

As we move into Lent we are asked to become aware of our lives. Sometimes that means that we touch deeply the pain that life brings, the grief that is a part of our human experience. In this we are reminded that no matter our experience we have an option to feeling sorry for ourselves: we can remember Paradise, remember that at root our deepest lives are defined by the Faith, Hope and Love that we experience in Christ.

Wishing you a Blessed Lent,

David

Elijah in a Whirlwind, Elisha in Tears

2009-02-18T17:52:00.001-08:00

This Sunday, 2 Kings 2:1-14 will be our scripture. It is a remarkable scripture -- full of fire and light -- a pyrotechnical masterpiece as Elijah, accompanied by flaming chariot and incendiary horse, is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind This is a passage meant for Hollywood. Take a look at the story, you might agree. However, I find a much more tender story here. Once you get beyond the spectacular vision of it all, you have a simple story of a younger man, Elisha, as he hopes to deal with the death of his mentor, the great prophet, Elijah. This dilema is something we all face as we face loss in our lives. Remembering the death of my mother 5 years ago, I remember thinking, "What will become of me? What will life be like now? Who am I now?" These are questions similar to those faced by Elisha in the story.

On Sunday we will look closely at this story as we contemplate the wonder of loss and its implications for our lives.

Blessings,

David

Re-imagining Lent, Re-membering Paradise

2009-02-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

The flowers appear on the earth,

The time of spinging has come,

And the voice of the turtledove,

Is heard in our land.

Song of Songs 4:12

For the last 1000 years, Christianity, as it has reflected on the life, death and resurrection of Christ, has directed its gaze upon the death of Jesus, and the redemptive quality of this death. “By he is stripes we are healed.” By his suffering we are healed. Redemptive suffering, Jesus’ on our behalf is seen as our ticket to paradise -- a paradise far off in time and space, a paradise of there (heaven) and then (the future).

It was not always so: for the first 1000 years of Christian history, the gaze of the early church was fixed squarely on the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrected Christ was seen as the one who has opened paradise once and for all, for eternity, as a present reality within which we all dwell.

This Lent we re-member paradise. Like a quilter taking the garments of the past to make a thing of present beauty, we will examine the stories of the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, and our own experience as together we re-member or patch together our faith as dwellers in paradise, the promise fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus.

Our time during Lent, which begins on Feb. 25, will be a time for examining our lives and faith in the context of paradise, the here and now reality of what Jesus called the reign or kingdom of God.

Opening Your Heart

2009-01-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

Opening Your Heart

In April, our church will begin its small group program, "Opening Your Heart." You might ask, Why is he telling us this now? I am telling you now because I am hoping for wide participation in "Opening the Heart," across the church, among our members and friends. If you know about our small groups program now, you can begin to make your plans now. So, please read on.

In a nutshell, here it is as currently envisioned by myself and members of our church's leadership team:

Purpose: "Opening Your Heart" will be an "all-church study" designed to help you develop your faith and learn to talk about your faith with others. In our small groups we will pray and talk about our faith experiences with one another. Our small groups will energize us as we experience intimate community and begin to see how God interacts with us in community. In our small groups we will explore how to speak with our friends about our faith. Further, the small groups will give you a place to "hang your hat" within our church community, a small community of spiritual friends who will walk the walk of faith and life with you.

How: In March you will be asked to sign up for a small group. On March 8th we will have a special service of worship introducing "Opening Your Heart." This will begin our "sign up" period. Some of the small groups will be formed out of the current boards and committees that currently meet in our church. Other small groups will be formed from scratch.

When: Our small group study groups will meet for 6 weeks beginning in April. Each group will meet once a week. Meeting times will be worked out to include as many of us as possible. In addition, there will be at home prayer opportunities made available to you for a daily time of prayer. During the six weeks of "Opening Your Heart," there will be no meetings of official boards of the church. "Opening Your Heart" is a chance for the First Congregational United Church of Christ to go on Sabbatical -- setting aside for growth in faith and community.

What's Happening Now: Currently, the "Opening Your Heart" Leadership Team is being formed. These are your friends and fellow church members who have volunteered to help with the formation of our small group program. They will be guiding the process as we move forward.

Opening Your Heart is a tremendous opportunity to grow in faith in community. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know some of your fellow church members very well. Through "Opening the Heart" I am hoping that we will become more fully the church we already are -- faithful, caring, with strong community and outreach.

Blessings,

David

The Vision Thing

2008-12-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (KJV)
Habakuk 2:2

A few election cycles back one of the candidates was criticized for lacking "that vision thing." The suggestion was that without vision, this particular candidate would be unable to lead the country in a meaningful and intelligent way. In the book of the prophet Habakkuk, God suggests that the prophet write of his vision on tablets in writing big enough so that someone running by could read it.

Vision is essential as the church moves forward into a new year. In this fast paced world, the church would do well take God’s advice to Habakkuk. Write it BIG so that people in a hurry can see it. Without a vision written large for all to see, we run the risk of perishing in what many have called a post-Christian world (a world where in our Bay Area only 15% of the people have any religious affiliation whatsoever). For anyone interested in our vision here at First Congregational UCC, take a look at our vision statement – this sets broad outlines concerning what we are all about. I thought that today I might share with you a vision for our “Church of the Corner” that I have been thinking about since the church picnic in October.

It is time to think of the church as serving not only its members and the people who worship here, but also members of our community Santa Rosa and the nearby towns, and even more particularly, the Santa Rosa Junior College Neighborhood. For this our vision needs to be broad and inclusive, inclusive even of those who might never think of joining a church. So, in broad strokes here is a vision of the church in a post-Christian environment.

1. We will be church for some people: There are people in our community who are interested in becoming a member of a church. For them, formal affiliation with a religious organization is something to be valued. They will contribute significantly to our church’s life and ministries. They will come here for both spiritual nurture and community. They will find in our community a connection to God and neighbor, their membership being for them a sign of this vital connection. Our members will count their church membership as essential to their lives.

2. For others, we will be a community center: As we open our building and program to the community, we find people coming to us who would never dream of “joining” a church. Yet, they are attracted to what we can offer the community, immediately as we are located in the Santa Rosa Junior College Neighborhood, and regionally as we offer some programs and opportunities that are unique to Sonoma County. Recent events that fall into this category are our community picnic and our evolving Nyame Tsease Drumming program (community attendance at our drumming concerts has averaged 75 people over two months). Also, AA; a group from men in recovery; and a stroke club meet in our building. We look to ways to be more open to our community.

3. For still others, we will be a spiritual center: an interesting thing has evolved on Wednesday evenings with our Meditation Group is that our neighbors have been dropping in. Many of these drop-ins would never come to a formal Christian worship service. However, on occasion, they stop by for meditation – a moment of quiet in their busy weeks. As a church, we might examine ways in which we can reach out to such people in a spiritually hungry world.

Before anything else, the church is about two things: spirituality and community. In fact, in our time, churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, etc… are the place to go for spiritual nurture and community. To our membership we offer both – in an unambiguous Christian environment. For our friends, we can share in community, the human connections that help define who we are and that add spice to life. And we can offer people a place to practice spiritual disciplines – strengthening their particular spiritual lives without enforcing belief or dogma.

As we approach the new year, we look to opportunities to share with our neighbors and friends the precious gifts that God has given us.

Blessings,
David

Will the Grinch Bail-Out Whoville?

2008-12-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

Every Who Down in Whoville Liked Christmas a lot...

But the Grinch,Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT!

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!

Ok, so I'm thinking a lot about the Grinch these days. That's right, Dr. Seuss' hero/anti-hero who has such an antipathy for Christmas that he decides that by stealing the presents from right under the Who's noses, he can stop Christmas from coming. He figures that without thier presents to make them happy, the Whos will be miserable -- so miserable, in fact, that the Whos would not make the most hated Grinch sound of all: the Whos would be unable to sing.

So, the Grinch does it. He steals all the presents, all the special foods, all the Christmas trees. The Whos houses are Christmas-bare. He takes all the Christmas stuff to the top of Mt. Crumpit, ready to toss them over the cliff -- when he hears it -- the Whos are singing.

the Grinch put his hand to his ear.

And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.

It started in low. Then it started to grow.

But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!

It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Whoville! The Grinch popped his eyes!

Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,

Was singing! Without any presents at all!

He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

Here we are in the midst of the worst recession since World War II. It is beginning to look like all the wonderful things available to us may not be available to us afterall. Perhaps some of us will have fewer presents under the tree. Maybe all our stuff is on the downside of Mt. Crumpit and it looks like it might not come back. Maybe....So what do we do? Perhaps ask a question. Here's one -- perhaps we could ask, as did the Whos, "What's left?"

When everything falls away something remains. The Whos found Joy. Others find Love. Still others Hope. This coming Christmas is a time for each of us, and for all of us in community to discover what remains when everything falls away. What we find is that which is eternal, and can't be taken away, no way, no how.

"It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!"

"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

And what happened then? Well...in Whoville they say,

That the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day!

What remains is the open heart -- the limitless heart of God with us in love and compassion.

Christmas is coming. Blessings, David