The Greensboro Kazoo Band was out in full force!

The Light Side, or the Dark Side? Elye Alexander and Alex Smith duke it out in an original skit.

Dave Smith sings about the woes of always gettin' in the way! It was another original performance, and he definitely wasn't in the way on that stage!

Eva Dannenberg and her flying fiddlin' fingers ... we love those Scottish medlies!

Paul Daniels playing 'Pistol Packin' Mama'

Paul Daniels doing the two-step

Some of the Woodbury Bluegrass Highlanders -- Brenda Cruz on guitar and vocals, Cassandra Brush on autoharp and vocals, Dan Brush, guitar and vocals -- belting out some praise and gospel

The talented Jeff Thompson on mandolin, played with the Woodbury Bluegrass Highlanders and backed up Paul Daniels.

Em-Cee Trish Alley recited poetry and stories between acts.

The Woodbury Bluegrass Highlanders: Paul Cerrutti, washtub bass; Brenda Cruz, guitar; Cassandra Brush, autoharp; Dan Brush, guitar; Jeff Thompson, banjo, mandolin, guitar; Doug Peck, dobro; and Lori Cruz (not pictured) tickling the ivories.

1 10 10

MATTHEW 6:24-34

JOHN 10:22-30

ANTHONY E.ACHESON, M.DIV.

I’d like to share some thoughts this morning about faith, and the deep desire we all have for a sense of confidence and joy, safety and security. Although the desire to feel safe is inherent in the human condition, our concerns about security have been heightened considerably in the post 9/11 world. Our fears about violence and disruption have been rekindled in recent months by the massacre at Fort Hood in November, the intrusion of three uninvited guests into a reception at the White House last month, and the Christmas day attempt to bring down an airliner over Detroit. In recent decades our lives have been disrupted by the rise of globally violent groups antagonistic to our society. Disruption also comes into our lives through the entrenched tendencies of militarism, imperialism and environmental degradation, as well as through the potentially destructive technologies that Western science and modernity have created since the industrial and scientific revolutions.

This collection of disruptive forces heightens our yearning for security, a yearning that takes many forms. We yearn for secure borders, of course, just as we yearn for secure retirement portfolios and secure homes. That word ’security’ approaches us from several directions. We hear about national security and global security. We hear about social security and personal security. We look at toddlers and think of them as clinging to what we sometimtes call security blankets. More than anything else, we want to feel secure and keep ourserves free from high levels of risk, and we spend large measures of time and money to reach that goal. We spend thousands of dollars buying insurance for our homes, cars, and medical care, and even our lives. We invest in our menus of mutual funds, and pension plans. We sign contracts about job and wage security. We even produce pre-nuptial agreements to protect us in case of divorce or marital exploitation. We’d like to picture ourselves living life in a cozy family room, fireplace aglow, insulated from danger or harm. And, yet, despite all our best efforts, we always know in the background that there are finally no guarantees. One way or another it can all be stripped away, and eventually, of course, will.

I think of my own years in parish ministry watching these issues get played out in people’s lives. A young woman launch a family and career with bright-eyed optimism, only to have her spouse taken away with brain cancer, as has happened to two of my UCC clergy colleagues here in the Vermont Conference over the past several years. Or there is the man who works long and hard in a successful career only to find out that internal politics have cost him his job. Or there is the family that watches the growth of a bright and promising son, only to discover that at age 20, he’s diagnosed with schizophrenia. And there is the woman who comes home one day to find her husband gone for good-and with him, the only source of income for her family.

We all know stories like these. We know people whose sense of security has suddenly been stripped away. Living competent and honorable lives, doing mostly right things, being fair and just and kind, none of these can protect us from that vulnerability. Even when we do everything right, we still remain profoundly vulnerable.

In the midst of all this, even as we look squarely at the insecurities of life, Jesus presents us with an alternative approach; a way of thinking that is fundamentally different from what our culture offers and values. Throughout the 10th chapter of John, Jesus speaks of God’s people as a beloved flock and himself as the shepherd protecting that flock from thieves and wolves. Jesus was very much a realist. He was keenly aware of the wolves that exist and the harm they can do. There are powers and principalities that threaten the flock. But despite his clear-eyed view of that reality, he is also cognizant that there is one power which is greater, one security which cannot be threatened. That security is metaphorically pictured in today’s Gospel as the home we can find in the palm of God’s hand. According to Christ, there is a ground-floor level of realty on which no power or force, can snatch us away. Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and no one shall snatch them from my hand,” And, “No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” Yes, of course, given our finitude and impermanence, there is a level of life in on which we are all inescapably vulnerable. But the proclamation of all authentic spirituality, whether inside or outside Christianity, is that, there is a deeper, subtler level on which, despite our vulnerabilities, we are also ‘unsnatchable.’ There is a soul-level security to be found at that deepest level. As Jesus says, “I give those who look unto me eternal life, and they shall never perish.” This is not a security that guarantees any outer circumstance. It is the security of knowing that the deepest essence of what we are cannot be destroyed, and cannot be taken from us.

At the end of the day that is the only real security that is available to human beings. This is the security that comes when we know the eternal aspect of our own beings. Each of us has an eternal aspect as well as a temporal aspect to our own being. The temporal aspect comes and goes. This is what the Buddha referred to as the ‘bundle’ of physical, finite, and conditioned elements that make up our human personalities, stories and egos. These parts of our beings have their own roles in their own times. But we are called inevitably to learn the spiritual skill of laying down, releasing and letting go of these finite parts of ourselves when life requires it of us. Beneath that bundle of our finite parts and aspects, though, there is another ground-floor level of our being. This is our soul, our essence. It is the part of us which existed before we were born and continues after we die. This is the part of us that constitutes our true being. It is the part of us that we can never lose and can never be lost to God. When Jesus talks about spiritual security, he is drawing our attention to this one aspect of our being that is indeed secure because it is made up of spiritual stuff that is eternal and unchanging and not susceptible to disintegration, destruction or loss.

This is the level of life that Jesus is drawing our attention to by using this poetic metaphor of resting in the palm of God’s hand. Knowing that we rest in the palm of God’s hand means maintaining a sustained consciousness of our connection to the eternal aspect of our own being, which is our soul. Resting in the palm of God’s hand also means being conscious in a sustained way of our connection to the eternal aspect of Being Itself, the Reality which is God. Being in the palm of God’s hand is a metaphor pointing us toward experientially knowing and feeling the deep underlying ground floor of reality which no person or power can take from us because it is spiritual and eternal. Though your employer can harshly remind you that our job is not eternal, she can’t tell you that God’s love has disappeared. Though your spouse could leave you for another person, he or she cannot walk away with your truest self and deepest level of being. Though your doctor can tell you that your may soon die , he or she can never say that your soul will ever die. No tragedy can bring with it the news that the divine power of life-itself has forsaken you, that the divine hand has been removed. In all of life’s fragileness, one thing remains strong and constant. You are held in the hand, in the palm of the hand, of the Divine power of life itself and nothing can snatch that away.

So, what does it mean to have the security of living in the palm of God’s hand, to use that turn of phrase of Jesus? Is it life lived in a cozy family room, a never-ending retreat before the fireplace or TV? Does it mean a chance to sit back, relax, basking long-term in the warmth of our gatherings of families and friends? There are, of course, appropriate and fine moments for all those things. We need the restorative power of some ‘good times,’ and retreats into the quiet of our peaceful times. But if that’s all there is when we think of security, then we have not heard the whole story.

The security of being held in God’s hand is not the security of our social, material, economic and familial comforts, legitimate and beautiful as those all are in their time and place. On the contrary, this is the security of an expanded and deepened consciousness of the eternal aspect of ourselves, and of the eternal dimension of Reality Itself, which frees and empowers us for any circumstance that comes upon us. In the language of Jesus, the hand of God is not only an image for safety; it’s also an image for power, specifically the power to live our lives confidently and strongly even under straitened circumstances. We are both secured and empowered by God’s hand if and as we become increasingly conscious of the eternal and indestructible aspect of Reality both within our own being and beyond the limits of our own being. Knowing that God is caring for us and holding us, we are freed and empowered to get on with the business of living our lives including seeking greater truth, loving both self and neighbor, striving for justice, and caring for the creation. The security that you and I have in the Divine is the very thing that frees us to lean into the very insecurities of this world and to participate in the work of God to redeem and heal the world.

The theologian Helmut Thielecke put it this way: If we know what power holds the final hour, we don’t need to be anxious about the next moment. Secure in the Divine presence, and in your consciousness of it we can live this day, this hour, this moment, in freedom and in joy, in fullness of life.’

And so as we prepare to again to face and embrace another week of life, with all its mixtures of pleasure and threats, let us once again prepare ourselves to take in the nourishment which the spiritual side of life offers; to acknowledge and embrace the radical insecurity of our human condition, just as Jesus modeled for us by his full embrace of both life and death, suffering and joy. Let us recognize how much it was his willingness to embrace the insecurities of this world of temporariness that enabled him to find the true security that lies at the level of eternal spirit. Through that example we have a powerful resource by which to draw closer to that same spiritual dimension he knew that is both around us and within us, in order that authentic spiritual security might increasingly be known and felt and experienced by us as well.

And we ask and offer all these things this day in the knowledge of the presence of the Living Christ and of the eternal God. Amen.

As we make our way from Christmas through Epiphany to Lent and Easter, there are several changes affecting our church life that I want to bring to your attention.

First, as mentioned in more detail elsewhere in this Newsletter, we have accepted, with regret, the resignation of our Church School Director, Cara Hill. Cara has done a terrific job with our kids and youth over the last couple of years and we will miss her greatly. In addition to her work with the Sunday School, she has also been active in recent months [along with the wonderful contributions of Sonia Dunbar] in offering invaluable help to the start-up of our Youth Group, which has now split into younger and older groups. And although I regret that Cara can’t continue as our Church School Director because of the many demands on her time, I am most grateful she will still be available to keep working with the Youth. Thanks, Cara, for the many contributions you have given, and are continuing to give, to this church.

Another major change is the transition toward new leadership for our music program. I hope Sunday, February 7, is on everyone’s calendar [at 3 PM] to come and fete Bronwyn Potter for her many labors of love here these many years. That should be a fun event, including good food, gifts given, music shared and the offering of loving appreciations.

As we look forward, the Deacons have created a Music Director Search Committee. The members are: Cilla Bonney-Smith [at large]; Mike Coffey [Deacons]; Bronwyn Masse [choir]; Paula Ratchford [Trustees] and myself [Pastor, Ex Officio.] We have met twice; elected a capable chair [Mike Coffey;]  provided supply organist-choir-directors through February [Bronwn Masse will be playing through February 7, and Hal Parker will be playing the last three Sundays of that month;] written a first draft of a job description; and begun to compile a list of places to advertise. I think we are off to a good start, and we will keep you posted.

Finally we are having a valuable and stimulating study group on 6 consecutive Wednesday nights this winter, beginning on January 27. We are studying the book, ‘A Hidden Wholeness,’ by the educator [and committed Quaker] Parker Palmer. This is a wonderful book about reclaiming spiritual and human wholeness through the power of community. Feel free to come even if you couldn’t make the initial meeting. The Galaxy has been stocking the book [and it can be quickly ordered if they are out.]  The focus for our first meeting was pp 1-30; and for Feb 3, we will focus on pp 31-70.

We will gather on those Wednesdays at 5 PM in Fellowship Hall, followed by a group meal [and continued discussion.] Come join us. If you want to know what food to bring, you can either email me at acheson.anthony@gmail.com ; or Paul Fixx at pfixx@pfixx.net .

Tony Acheson

Our beloved and long-time Music Director, Bronwyn Potter, has announced her retirement. She informed her choir of this decision just prior to worship on Sunday, December 20. Then, at her request, I repeated the basic information of that announcement to the congregation at the end of that service. After the announcement, the congregation started to clap. Then something especially touching took place unexpectedly and spontaneously. Our Church Moderator, Paul Fixx, stood up from the pew where he had been sitting, and started walking up to the altar/choir area. As he did so, the others in the congregation began to follow him, until all of us were crowded around close to the organ giving Bronwyn a standing ovation. This was an exceedingly moving moment, one that will remain in my memory always, and one that will stand alongside many other special times that Bronwyn has given us over the years as a musician and as a friend.

Bronwyn’s retirement is effective at the end of calendar year 2009. Her last major services playing the organ and directing the choir took place on Christmas Eve this Thursday night, and on Sunday the 27^th when we had our annual carol sing during regular worship. In the short term future, Bronwyn’s daughter, Bronwyn Masse, will be playing the organ and directing the choir in the next few weeks. The Deacons have created a Search Committee to look for a new Director, and we will keep you informed about future plans for the music program as they develop.

The Diaconate is also planning a community reception to honor the many gifts Bronwyn has given to this church and area for the last 62 years through her considerable musical skills. This will take place on Sunday, February 7 [see box on p 2.]  In the meantime, our sadness at the prospect of losing Bronwyn’s music leadership is tempered by the deep gratitude for all the love, inspiration and enjoyment she has given us for such a long period of time. I know I speak for all of us in saying to Bronwyn: Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! You have been–and will continue to be–a true treasure among us.

Tony Acheson

Years ago there was a great Baptist preacher at the Clarendon Church in Boston, named A.J. Gordon. He was fond of telling a story that says something about the meaning of this Advent season.

It seems that one day he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, “Son, where did you get those birds?” The boy replied, “I trapped them out in the field.” “What are you going to do with them?” “I’m going to play with them, and then I guess I’ll just feed them to an old cat we have at home.” When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, “Mister, you don’t want them, they’re just little old wild birds. And besides, they don’t sing hardly at all.” Gordon replied, “I’ll give you $2 for the cage and the birds.” “Okay, it’s a deal,” the kid said, “but you’re making a bad bargain.” The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny two dollars of coins.

A. J. Gordon then walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ’s message of people who had become lost, becoming saved. “That boy told me the birds were not songsters,” said Gordon, “but when I released them and they winged their way upward, they seemed to be singing quite nicely indeed.”

Sometimes we may forget it, but Christianity is essentially a religion of freedom and of joy. And in this season that we celebrate Christ’s coming, the invitation is the same: to become more free, and to become more joyful. My prayer and hope for these four weeks of Advent, and preparation for Christmas, is that we might see if we can free ourselves from some of the frantic doings it is so easy to get caught up in, and see if we can’t settle into the peace of listening in stillness for the voice of the Christ who wants to make a new advent, a new coming, a new approach into our lives. Doing so can help turn these holidays into days that are not only liberating, but filled with a newer, deeper joy.

Happy holidays. And…..I look forward to seeing you in church on these four Sundays of Advent.

Your pastor,                              

Tony Acheson

One of the constant rhythms of my life has to do with balancing out my inclination for immediacy and spontaneity, on the one hand, with my need for order and organizing on the other. This need for balance takes several forms. One example comes from occasions when I speak in public. When I give a sermon or talk,  I usually enjoy speaking ‘off the cuff.’ There can be, at times, a freshness, or a turn of phrase that emerges, which might not otherwise appear in a completely ‘prepared.’ talk. On the other hand, such talks are enhanced by the structure and clear sequence of ideas more likely present than in a carefully prepared talk. For me another ongoing example of this same dynamic is found in the physical state of my office. I like to have several things that I am working on out and at hand. Spending time filing things is not my favorite pursuit. It doesn’t ‘light me up.’ But if there are too many papers lying around,  I can’t find much of anything, and I become inefficient in my use of time.

Both sides of this equation have their own benefits. One significant factor, though, is that in our culture, at least, the ‘orderly’ side of the equation gets the better press. Put another way, our culture tends to place a higher value on things that are neat, in place and under control. But things that are raw and unruly, and have a life of their own, can serve us well too.

Consider the case of the discovery of penicillin. In late August of 1928, Alexander Fleming left his office in northeast London and went on vacation. Great scientist that he was, Fleming was not neat and orderly. He left his work space so cluttered, it would not have passed 21^st century hygienic code. Specifically, he had left out some open petri dishes with active bacterial cultures on them. These dishes were located near a window that he had left partly open. During the vacation, some mold blew in through the window and landed on some of the petri dishes.

When Fleming came back on September 3, 1928 he was confronted with the mess he had left behind, including the messy dishes. But instead of immediately and reflexively cleaning them up, something important happened first. He paused, if just for an instant, and looked at the dishes and noticed something. He noticed that a small patch of mold had blown in the window and had landed on some of the bacterial culture in a couple of the petri dishes. And he noticed further that in the areas that the mold had landed, the staphylococci growth that had overgrown the rest of the cultures had been kept at bay. From that basic observation sprang the discovery of penicillin.

Fleming went on to do a lot of detailed scientific work, including repeated experimentation and record keeping that, no doubt, involved a great deal of order and organization, structure and proper procedure. All of those more disciplined elements were essential to the long process that led from Fleming’s initial, ‘Aha!,’ and the actual delivery of penicillin pills to ill patients. But if you look at that story in its fullness, an important part of that process included a significant role for disorder, imperfection, and lack of full rational control on the part of the key player in that discovery, Alexander Fleming.

What might this mean for us? Yes, of course, we should maintain….and build upon…..our life-giving routines and disciplines, including the beliefs and practices of our religion. But we should beware not to let them hold us too tightly. When uncontrollable events emerge from either beyond us or inside us; when we lapse into disorder or imperfection; when the unexpected or surprising take place……such times often have gifts to bring us as well as the gifts that come through our choices, our disciplines and our achieved order. In a phrase from the Bible, when we are visited by the parts of life beyond our control, we may at a deeper level be being ‘entertained by angels unawares.”

Your pastor,

Tony Acheson

Nearly a year ago, an anonymous donor gave our church $10,000 as seed money toward the purchase of a high quality piano for our sanctuary. Although there had been a good piano in that space for quite a few years, it did not belong to us, and there was no guarantee as to how long its owner might choose to keep it here. The Trustees were happy to accept the gift, and proceeded to appoint a seven person search committee to find a new piano.

The search took several months and involved considerable research, including studying well regarded books about pianos, and unearthing available knowledge online. Because we live in a rural area, we soon discovered that there is not a high volume of available new or used pianos in close proximity to us. This necessitated taking several field trips which covered quite a bit of geographical area. This led to the opportunity to play and hear a wide range of instruments of varying makes, models, sizes and quality. The result was a decision in early September to purchase a new Mason and Hamlin 5 foot, 4 inch grand piano.

Those of us who have been involved with this search are unanimously enthusiastic about this new addition to the life of our church. The Mason and Hamlin brand has a long history of producing pianos at the highest end of quality available, as even a brief hearing of this instrument will attest. This is a very, very good piano, and we are very, very fortunate to have it.

There will be a formal dedication of this new instrument during our worship service on Sunday, October 4. As a part of that dedication event, the piano will be featured in several ways: our longstanding music Director, Bronwyn Potter, will play the prelude on the piano for that service; Bronwyn Masse, will use it for the postlude; and Cara Hill will play a solo during the service itself. [We will be requesting quiet during the playing of all these pieces.] This is an important and joyful addition to the life of our church. I hope that as many of you as possible will come and join us on October 4 to celebrate this gift, and the many possibilities it gives us to increase our ministry through the art and beauty of music.

I want to express my deepest appreciation to those who have served with me with great ability and commitment on this piano search committee: Mike Coffey, Andy Dales, Janney Johnston, Bronwyn Masse, Karen Miller and Ed Stehle. The high quality of their work is evident in the high quality of the piano that now graces our church, as we can expect it will for decades to come. We are also deeply indebted to our initial major donor, and to quite a few others whose special interest in our music ministry, and their resulting financial contributions, have brought this new piano to us.

In Psalm 100 it says, ‘Make a joyful sound unto the Lord, all you lands. Serve the Lord with gladness and come before God’s presence with singing.’ We should all be lifting our thanks to God for this beautiful new gift. And our gratitude goes as well to the long list of people whose time, talent and treasure have made possible the new opportunities for doing God’s work in this church through the beauties of music and the arts.

See you on October 4^th.

Your Pastor,

Tony Acheson

As Labor Day approaches, I am aware of what a rich blessing we have in Greensboro summers. There is, of course, the beauty of the place. And beyond that is the strength and richness of the people who make up this community, both those who come here only for a time, and those who live here through the changing seasons. This summer of ‘09 has strengthened my appreciation of both sides of this equation, but most especially the people. Both Nancy and I are feeling the value of the long-term connections that are strengthened as each year passes.

These recent months have had their ups and down. The marriage of our daughter on July 18 was one of the highlights of all our lives in this family. It would have been a special day under any circumstances, but coming as it did only a few months after Emma’s cancer diagnosis, I think, brings home to us more than usual the preciousness of each day we have with one another, and especially each good day of good health for those of us that are lucky enough to have that, both for ourselves and those we love.

One thing that has emerged from Emma’s diagnosis is a new-found involvement on her part in supporting the work toward a cure for breast cancer. A couple of days ago she sent me an email she has been distributing, and asked if I would spread it to people in this part of the world. I do so on page 2. It contains a request for support toward raising $3,000 as part of her September 13 breast cancer walk. Whether or not you contribute, check out her web page.

See you in church.

Tony Acheson

As most of you know, our daughter Emma was married on Saturday, July 18, to Colin Koch from Charlotte, Vt. Colin is a wonderful young man whom Nancy and I have come to love greatly. The two of them have been pretty much inseparable for more than eight years, going back to when Emma was in the 10^th grade and they were schoolmates. You don’t have to be around these two for long to see that they seem to be very much meant for each other. The wedding itself was held in the Charlotte  UCC, with a reception in South Burlington attended by about 150 guests. Emma and Colin also spent a wonderful honeymoon week at St. Barth’s in the Caribbean. They are currently living in New York City.

That weekend of Emma’s and Colin’s wedding was one of the true highlights of all of our lives. Everything went extremely smoothly. It was one of the great privileges of my own life to be able to, first, walk my daughter up the aisle [and, as she put it, to 'hand her off' to Colin;] and then later in the service to come to the front and stand with my daughter and her fiancé in that beautiful church and pronounce them to be husband and wife. At one point Nancy and I were saying to ourselves that the wedding was everything we had hoped it would be and even more. Not long after that we heard Emma say almost those identical words to someone in a different conversation. It was a time of great blessing. The sun even came out!

Nancy and I deeply appreciate the many expressions of support we have received from many of you both before and after this wedding, including your best wishes for this beautiful young pair, and for the well being of all of us. We thank you so much for your affectionate support. We feel very blessed not only as parents [and now parents-in-law] but also as members of this wonderful community of the Greensboro Church, and of this town.

Your Pastor,

Tony Acheson

Greensboro summers are short, but they are also full. And that is true as much here at Greensboro Church as in the rest of the town.

As you look through the calendar and articles of the Newsletter, you will see a rich menu of events taking place in our church building during the next month. I want to bring one thing in particular to your attention, by inviting all of you to take part in our Thursday morning Study Group, which will I will be leading, beginning on Thursday, July 9, and continuing for six weekly meetings [ending on August 13.] This has become a meaningful annual event for many of us in recent years, and should prove to be the same again this summer.

The topic of this year’s group will be: Spirituality and Religion: Are They Compatible?  In recent years, there has been a growing awareness in our culture of the distinction between religion, on the one hand, and spirituality on the other. Our times together will be divided between presentations, discussion and inner work. Among other things, the group will explore the differences and similarities between religion and spirituality as distinct modalities for approaching ultimate things. We will examine how spirituality and religion either get in the way of each other, or complement each other….or, at differing times, both. And we will consider what some of the criteria are for determining the priorities between our spiritual experiences and our religious involvements.

This group will meet from 9 to 10:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall on each of those 6 consecutive Thursdays. There is nothing that needs to be purchased. [We will not be studying a particular book as we have in some years in the past.] Just bring yourselves, your willing spirits, and your open minds. I hope to see many of you on July 9 as we begin what should be a fascinating and valuable group experience.

Your Pastor,

Tony Acheson