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MODERATOR’S THOUGHTS by Ann Weitzel

I have always liked music.  My Mother encouraged me to take piano lessons when I was a child.  I will always remember my first teacher, Ms. Cora Faucett. She was a little, (dare I say old, now that I have reached that status!!) lady, a bit of a slave driver.  She saw something in me and used to tell me I should consider going to the Eastman School of Music.  That required practice, lots of it, and I did not really like to practice.  My practice became nursing, but I still loved music.   So, I loved Sarah, our organist, for many years.  She needed to find more time for her own children, so she introduced us to Laura, our current pianist.  Laura has brought a whole new sound to our church music, Jazz!  I love the way she has brought a bit of jazz to our hymns. 

 

She is the namesake of the LAURA DUBIN TRIO, and the trio has entertained us and other guests to some great music!  What better way to praise God, than to fill our sanctuary with wonderful music of all kinds, even jazz!  During this last concert, I came to an interesting insight--that jazz is not really a different kind of music, but a different way to play music!  The trio played a couple of classical pieces, Beethoven and Bach and a fall piece in jazz format!  I imagine both Beethoven and Bach enjoyed them immensely!  Our audience certainly did!

 

Music is a wonderful way to praise God, so we are blessed and are sharing our blessing with the community.  This is our current way of serving and blessing our community!  In this time of unrest, greed, war and general anger, we are reaching out and sharing beauty and beautiful noise!

As with every church, we are searching for the best ways to serve our congregation and our community.  We are searching for ways to be current and helpful, to soothe and serve --why not great music to soothe a few souls, jazz up some everyday living, and bring joy!! Thank you, Laura and your trio, for great work!

We are approaching the most joyous time in our religious year--so let us spread as much joy as we can!  Smile, comfort, attend a service, bring gifts for the food shelf, help a neighbor, sing (even if you think you can't), phone a friend. CELEBRATE!  May GOD's blessings be upon you!  See you next year.

A Note from the Pastor by Pastor Jessilou

It's probably been a while since someone asked you what you want for Christmas (at least a year, anyway.) But do you remember as a child, making out that list? Maybe you'd hang it on the refrigerator or take it with you to give to Santa when you went to the mall to sit on his lap. Our grownups might read through the list and frown, and say something like "A pony? We live in an apartment. How could we ever take care of a pony?"

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Of course, we never got everything that was on our list. And fortunately, the lists would disappear on Christmas Day so we'd never really have anything to refer to..... "Wait a minute, I got the bike helmet, but I didn't get the board game; what's up with that?" Sometimes we'd get things that were NOT on our lists. Like socks and underwear. I love new socks, but it's not the kind of thing you'd brag about to your friends. "Hey, guess what! I got SOCKS!"  Hmmmm....

Sometimes when we pray, we feel like that little kid with the Christmas list in hand. Wondering if what we are praying for is unreasonable, or perhaps we feel as though we are undeserving of what we want or need. Maybe God's really too busy with other things, let's face it - the world is a mess right now.......God's got better things to do.

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I'm confident God hears all our prayers, and God knows they are genuine. But just like those childhood Christmas lists, God sometimes decides not to grant us our exact wish, and instead makes sure we have what we need to fulfill God's plan for us - a plan we are unable to see right now.

 

In digging through my files recently, I found a wonderful poem that should remind us of the fact that God always has our best interests in mind, even when we think God isn't listening.

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I asked for strength and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom and God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity and God gave me brawn and brains to work.

I asked for courage and God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for patience and God placed me in situations where I was forced to wait.

I asked for love and God gave me troubled people to help.

I asked for favors and God gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted and received everything I needed.

My prayers have all been answered.

 

My Christmas wish for you is that all your prayers will be answered in such a way that you will feel honored, respected, and most of all - loved.  Have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Associate Moderator's Thoughts by Mike Zebulske

Sometimes it seems like the world is a very uncaring place in a constant state of turmoil. Wars plague several parts of the planet. Parts of the country are trying to recover from recent storms and wildfires. Political and social unrest are worldwide. It seems like with each passing day it is increasingly difficult to find something positive to feel good about, let alone be thankful for.

 

Recently Tina and I made the decision to do some work on our house. After 43 years it was time to replace the windows and siding (our kids would argue that it was LONG overdue). To prepare for this work we needed to re-arrange some things so that the workers could install the windows.  It quickly became clear that that hardest part of that would be our home “office.” Our office held all the stuff that we were not sure where it should go. With great enthusiasm, I headed into sort through the boxes and totes in the room. I’m not a good person to do this kind of work. I tend to be a pack rat when it comes to such things but tried very hard to err on the side of…. if it hasn’t been used in the last year … it’s probably not important. It was a slow go, looking through some of the things that brought back a lot of memories. Then I happened upon the guest book from my retirement party and the cards from folks who attended. I looked through some of the cards but there was one that made me pause.  It was a letter written by a former co-worker. Annette worked in another group in our area. She was a dog lover and we frequently talked about the furry members of our families. When our daughter Jaci adopted a puppy from the animal shelter on Verona St. Annette went with me on a lunch hour to look at Max and fill out the adoption application. Years later, when our dog Honey passed, she was the one person who understood what that meant to me and our family. When I came in late the next day, she was the one who came to my office with a hug and a tear in her eye. She is a special person. I was very struck by the fact that she had taken the time to write a page of thoughts and well wishes. She could have just added a note to the card. But she cared enough to take the time to put some thoughts into a letter. Her note to me was a very caring and insightful one that I will cherish.          

 

Folks are often too busy with their own challenges or concerns to care about others. The world is a challenging, sometimes not very caring place. But if you look hard enough you will find examples of caring people. Whether it’s holding a door for someone, paying forward at a drive through window or wishing a friend a happy retirement.

 

As you look forward to Advent, remember the themes of the season: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Take time to look past the challenges and get ready to celebrate the most wonderful gift of all. The story of a child born so long ago, a story of sharing, of kindness and …..of caring.

 

“Politeness and caring for each other cannot be a thing of the past.”    Peter Frampton

 

I wish all of you a safe, joyous, and Very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years! Peace Be with You! 

 

And our Journey continues together…..Over 190 Years and Still Creating History!

Peace,

Mike

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