Time and time again, when the question, "what's your favorite season of the year" comes up -usually in some sort of ice-breaker or conversation starter- I always answer "Spring." Not long ago after one such occasion, I began thinking about my answer. In actuality I really like summer because I love warm weather, because the pace of life around the church slows down just a little and because that's usually when I take my major vacation. So why is it I always say "Spring"? Well, I think it has something to do with really disliking the cold and drabness of winter. I think it also has something to do with the fact that spring seems to carry the promise that summer will indeed come. I also love to see the transformation that happens as grass starts to green and the perennial flowers and deciduous trees start to come back to life. In short, I think it's because for me, spring is about new life and the hope of new life.

I think that we in the Northern Hemisphere are especially lucky because, for us, the Easter celebration of the Resurrection promise of new life coincides with the greening and new life of spring. Everywhere we look we see the signs of it and our hope is renewed.

A number of years ago I came across the work of Hildegard of Bingen, an amazing woman who lived from1098-1179CE. Hildegard was a mystic, author, musician, naturalist, artist, philosopher and cook who eventually became the Abbess of two convents. Hildegard is best known for her Illuminations, beautiful paintings of Divine Visions. As part of these Illuminations Hildegard coined the term "veriditas" which refers to "greening or healing power."  According to Hildegard life in harmony with the Divine is moist, green, verdant and beautiful; while life cut off or separated from the Divine order is dry, brown, barren and brittle. Thus she described sin as being dry and brittle, easily broken, or dead and reconciliation as verdant or green, moist and full of life. In the dances of Universal Peace we have a song we sing that use the words of Hildegard. It goes like this:

We are greening, greening with life

We bear our fruit for all of creation.

We are greening, greening with life

We bear our fruit for all of creation.

Limitless love, from the depths to the stars

Flooding all, loving all

It is the royal kiss of peace.

For much of our country we have been in a period where not only is it winter on the calendar, but life seems somewhat dry and brittle, lacking hope and filled with fear. The economy is not turning around as fast as we might have hoped. Many are still under or unemployed. Times are uncertain at best. Yet if we claim to have faith in the God of Jesus Christ, we are called to trust in the greening power of God who always brings new life. So, as we move toward Easter and the celebration of new life in the world and in our hearts, may we each know the greening, resurrecting power of God. May we each feel the flood of God's love embracing us and our world. May we feel the royal kiss of peace. And may we share the fruit of this love with all of creation!

                                                                                 Shalom,

                                                                                          Nancy

Dear Friends,

Let me begin by saying a HUGE THANK YOU to each of you for the gift of this Sabbatical time. I also want to say kudos to the Governing Board, the Stephen Ministers, the Hospital & Shut-in Visitation teams Pastor Christie and the rest of our staff for the extra work that they took on to allow me this time. What a blessing it was to be able to take the time to rest, renew, and refresh some of my ideas and my spirit. It was a most amazing blessing!

I am so grateful for the beautiful prayer that Nancy Rossmiller wrote for my last Sunday before I leave for Sabbatical. In my sermon I had asked that you all pray for me and for our congregation and our mutual growth.  What a delight then to hear you all pray this beautiful prayer. So please use it often during the next three months and I will do the same.

Thanks to the generosity of this wonderful congregation, I will begin a 3 month Sabbatical on  Thursday June 18th. During my time away I will be exploring was to refresh and enliven worship and create worship styles that meet the needs of a postmodern world. I will be doing some reading, attending some workshops and visiting congregations that are doing creative, embodied emergent worship.

I am also going to be reviewing several different Spiritual Gift and Ministry Empowerment curricula in the hope of creating material that uses UCC friendly terminology. Lastly I will be exploring ways to develop more small groups within our congregation. It is through such small groups that we come to deepen our faith and grow into the joy that God desires for our lives and our world.

Because of the roof problems we have been having since December 20^th, the Narthex and Office complex have been cleaned and sealed. The pastor and Secretary have been relocated to the Youth Ministry and Kid's Quest rooms. Entrance to the sanctuary is temporarily through Fellowship Hall.  On Monday (1-12-09) Pastor Nancy and representatives from the Governing Board and the Operations Facilitating Group met with the Insurance Adjustor and several representatives of the restoration company. We are now waiting for the determination of how much of the needed repairs the insurance company will cover. Once that determination is made interior sheeting will be installed to cover the damaged areas of the ceiling until Spring when the complete repairs can be made. Once this sheeting is installed we will be able to return the offices to their normal location and use the narthex. We pray that all of the roof reconstruction that needs to be done will be covered by insurance (or at the very least a significant amount of it). If any additional funds over and above what insurance covers are needed we would need to have a congregational meeting. Watch for updates and be patient with all the upheaval this has caused. Join us in the mantra that is keeping your staff sane "God is good, all the time! All the time God is good!"