November 2010 The Boy and the Drum There is an old Hindu story. In it, there is a boy who wants a drum, but his mother can't afford a drum, and so, sadly, she gives him a stick. Though he doesn't know what to do with it, he shuffles home and begins to play with the stick. Just then, he encounters an old woman trying to light her woodstove. The boy freely gives her the stick. She lights her fire, makes some bread, and in return she gives him half a loaf. Walking on, the boy comes across a potter's wife whose child is crying from hunger. The boy freely gives her the bread. In gratitude, she gives him a pot. Though he doesn't know what to do with it, he carries it along the river, where he sees a washerman and his wife quarreling because the wife broke their one pot. The boy gives them the pot. In return, they give him a coat. Since the boy isn't cold, he carries the coat until he comes to a bridge, where a man is shivering. Riding to town on a horse, the man was attacked and robbed of everything but his horse. The boy freely gives him the coat. Humbled, the man gives him his horse. Not knowing how to ride, the boy walks the horse into town, where he meets a wedding party with musicians. The bridegroom and his family are all sitting under a tree with long faces. According to custom, the bridegroom is to enter the procession on a horse, which hasn't shown up. The boy freely gives him the horse. Relieved, the bridegroom asks what he can do for the boy. Seeing the drummer surrounded by all his drums, the boy asks for the smallest drum, which the musician gladly gives him. In Luke's Gospel, (Luke 11:11-13) Jesus asks, "Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are [sinful], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" The story of the boy serves as a good example that, underneath our trouble, the true nature of generosity is only fully visible if we let the story - whatever it is – unfold. If we limit this old tale to the boy asking for one thing and his mother bringing him another, we have a lesson in not getting what we want, but accepting what we are given. If we end the story when the boy gives the woman the stick, we have a moment of altruism or sacrifice, depending on how we look at it. If we end the story when the woman gives the boy half a loaf of bread, it becomes a lesson in barter and fair exchange, trading what's timely and of use. But if we let the story take its full and natural course, we are given something quite different. For the longer we let relationships unfold, the more we see how everything goes together and how answering the needs of others depends on how we accept what we're given as unexpected medicine, even it it's not what we want. Let us give thanks this season for how we are connected as a human family and a family of faith, and for God's presence in unexpected little things along the way. Fondly, Pastor Aaron

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October 2010 Our Common Life Together As the leaves turn and the cycle of God's creation concludes it's harvest its a good time for some reminders about our common life together: Expenses are ahead of income. This time of year we are always playing 'catch up.' However with the national economy the way it is, we are more behind than usual. Even in tight financial times remember that we need to give more than the church needs to receive. The Church does not exist for itself. It exists for the community it serves. We need to ensure the existence of the church in some form for the rituals it provides that give life meaning. We need it for the fellowship and enrichment it provides. We need it for the purpose it shines on our lives and the way it is a vehicle for our service to Christ. Our investments are for these things, and in prioritizing them in our financial makeup, we define our character in ways that reflect the path Christ walked. This is no easy thing. But as we grow our trust in this area over time we reap the peace and fulfillment it brings more and more. When you are in the hospital, please call the church or have a family member do so. Because of patient privacy regulations, hospitals can be inconsistent with informing us of your admittance. Please don't assume we know you are there unless you tell us directly. Snow-birds and other seasonal travelers who find themselves away from our community for periods of time should connect with a local congregation where they are to attend services of worship, to continue your particular practice of Christian discipleship and mission, and for the purpose of receiving pastoral care when it is needed. Consider taking advantage of "affiliate membership." Be the change you wish to see! If your desire is to serve through the church, you will usually be satisfied. If your desire is to receive from the church, you will usually be frustrated. The Presbyterian Book of Order reminds us that Church membership is a form of active ministry: G-5.0102 A faithful member accepts Christ's call to be involved responsibly in the ministry of his Church. Such involvement includes a. proclaiming the good news, b. taking part in the common life and worship of a particular church, c. praying and studying Scripture and the faith of the Christian Church, d. supporting the work of the church through the giving of money, time, and talents, e. participating in the governing responsibilities of the church, f. demonstrating a new quality of life within and through the church, g. responding to God's activity in the world through service to others, h. living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural, and social relationships of life, i. working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment. Its easy to take our vows of membership to the church for granted. Did you know that you made vows when you joined? Everyone is welcome and encouraged to worship with us, celebrate the sacraments, receive pastoral care and take part in fellowship and ministry through our church as a Presbyterian (USA) congregation. We have many friends among us who are fulfilled this way, and we are grateful for their presence in any form it takes. Those who join as members however, decide to make our particular congregation the vehicle for their own ministry as disciples of Jesus Christ. According to the constitution of the PC(USA), members are responsible for their own level of activity and quality of participation. [Book of Order G-5.0601] The session is responsible for providing training and encouragement, while members should advantage of it, and serve as able on committees and in turn on the boards of officers. If you are called upon to serve as an officer, please consider it seriously. You can read the Constitution of our denomination by asking me for a copy of the Book of Order or going online: www.pcusa.org/resource/book-of-order_09-11 With thanksgiving for our ministry together, Pastor Aaron

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September 2010 In the News It has been impossible, coming back from my very interfaith experience at Stony Point Center, not to be especially moved by all the media controversy around the religion of Islam recently. At the Center I had more than my usual exposure to followers of different faiths. I shared meals and conversations with a handful of Muslims among the Christians, Jews and other folks in residence or passing through Stony Point as we were. Some of them were young adults who were there as interns in the "Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit" program. These young people were studying the traditions of non-violence and peacemaking within Judaism, Islam and Christianity while also learning about sustainable agriculture, "food justice" (thats a new term for us!) and planting a vegetable garden on the front lawn of the facility. What has stuck out for Rachel and I was just how at ease we felt in the social environment at Stony Point. In the campfire circle, workshops and gatherings we participated in, there was such diversity of culture and faith that no-one seemed to be any more "other" than anyone else. Conversation flowed pretty easily and people felt safe to ask polite but frank questions. I remember an early evening on one of the first few nights we were there that the interns and resident volunteers invited our family to a campfire program. I learned about Kosher marshmallows, and what it is about them that makes them Kosher. In the process, I learned more about marshmallows and what they are made of than I cared to! We had some great belly laughs, and it was easy to see just how similar we all were in spite of our different faiths. People are still just people, with the same fears and hopes and basic needs pretty much anywhere. So when I see the fear Americans have of Islam it hurts in a new way. Christians and Muslims share a common origin from Judaism, and both include the Jewish Torah as part of their sacred Scriptures. We are all Children of Abraham. We all see God as a divine being of peace and mercy at the core of our faiths. It's a wonder why we don't get along better! But then again, sometimes its the rivalries of close family that cause the most misunderstanding and hurt. There is a strain of prideful and stubborn exclusivism that is part of each faith that gets in the way. We each think we are more "right" about God than the others. I saw that when we lay that stubbornness aside we can have a lot of fun together! v There are also significant political and cultural assumptions that weasel their way into our religious ideals that really should be understood better. For instance I see that the western cultural attachment to capitalism is a stumbling block of understanding to our eastern brothers and sisters. I think I recognize also that the old nomadic cultures of eastern Europe and western Asia lend a more severe outlook on discipline than westerners can understand. When we speak its often in "apples and oranges" to each other. It's hard to find a common set of metaphors with which to understand things in the same way. The consequences are that radical voices monopolize the news and more rational minds wonder if what they see really represents the whole of the "other side" or not. This is why I feel that Muslim Americans should be embraced as fellow citizens without fear or suspicion. They who straddle both cultures are our best asset for peacemaking in the world. I am reassured by my new relationships from Stony Point that there is no reason to fear Islam itself. We have some hard work to do in repairing relationships and building understanding on the world stage, and here in America. Someone has to take the higher path. Christ is waiting there for us I think, tapping his toe. Aaron Doll

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Summer 2010 As I sit in the airy cafeteria at Stony Point center at the end of July, I am reflecting on all that I have been exposed to here in the past 9 days. As one of a handful of Presbyterian Conference Centers across the country, Stony Point hosts all kinds of groups. We have broken bread with and offered volunteer hours alongside global missionaries, a youth group from Moorefield WV, a local African Methodist Zion Men's Fellowship, a chaplain fellowship, and several other church groups of Presbyterian and other persuasions. There are also resident volunteers here of various types. Some are part of the Community of Living Traditions and are part of the Muslim Peace Fellowship, the Jewish Shomer Shalom Network, or the Christian Luke 6 Project. These three groups have representatives living on campus and have undertaken a project this summer of hosting a group of young adult interns in a program of Interfaith understanding, nonviolence studies and labor around farming and food justice. This intern group has created a substantial vegetable garden on the front entrance lawn while we have been here. Rocks have come out (this county is not known as 'Rockland' for nothing!), compost has gone in, fencing has gone up (to keep out the aggressive deer and hare population) and fall seeds have been planted. They have also attended classes and toured religious sites in nearby NYC. What a great opportunity. I would recommend this experience highly for our recent grads when its done next year! I have a list of things I have been reading while on Study Leave here. Firstly I am reading ahead in the lectionary to prepare thoughts for worship this fall. Secondly, there are resources from our Denominational General Assembly that we should attend to together this year. One is a new Statement of Faith that is being considered for approval in our Presbyterian Book of Confessions. (This is the book where we keep the Apostle's Creed, and the Westminster Confession of Faith.) The Belhar Confession comes out of South Africa and focuses on unity, reconciliation and justice. This is an opportunity for us to dust off the Confession of 1967 and see what it has to say on these topics, and see if the Belhar Confession adds a significant voice for the will of Christ. We will be using excerpts of these texts in various ways in our worship liturgies this fall and winter, and I will offer a forum opportunity to explore them too. http://images.rca.org/docs/aboutus/belharconfession.pdf Thirdly, fourthly, fifthly... there are some ideas here for occasional dramatic elements to our worship, topics current interest, and convictions about how God would speak to us and act through us in these days. Your input and participation will be a blessing to our common life of worship and work together. Please talk to me if you have and itch to scratch! I have been grateful for this chance to recharge and get input for the coming seasons. I hope you have been doing so as well. I look forward to the continued partnership of our ministry this fall! May we all find some dry and sunny times yet this summer! Fondly, Aaron

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June 2010 This has been a very active spring and beginning of summer for us, filled with events that were wonderfully uplifting and led by various members and groups within the congregation. We hosted Rev. James Renfrew in the pulpit on Mother's Day to further our Spring theme of Living Water. I enjoyed meeting Jim's congregation in Byron, and passing your good greetings on to that part of our larger family in Christ. The very next weekend we were blessed by God through the work of the Stewardship Committee on the very meaningful retreat out at the Rabjon farm. The Deacons also hosted a wonderful Friendship Luncheon for retired members with a fantastic menu. Indeed many long time friendships were renewed around the tables and in the kitchen! Pentecost was a special treat. It was new and different, and we learned a lot about how to hold a large scale event like this. It was a glory to see all the different choirs and pastors together in their robes among the red flowers and banners. So many of you commented about how neat it was to worship and share communion with friends and neighbors from the other village congregations. We will definitely respond to all the encouragement and do this again next year, building on what we have learned and experienced with our ecumenical friends. If you were intimidated by the venue or the event and didn't come, talk about the service with those who did. Let myself or the worship committee know how to help you attend something like this in the future. Coming up soon our denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has its every-two-year meeting at the beginning of July in St. Louis. I am an alternate to attend this important gathering should one of the primary delegates have an emergency and not be able to represent our Genesee Valley Presbytery. I don't expect to have to go, but we have a contingency plan for the July 4th weekend should I need to pack and go last minute. Wilson Buddle will step into the pulpit for me in this case, and the ecumenical village clergy will cover pastoral emergencies. We will also move the celebration of Communion to July 11th. Being an alternate this year means that I will be a primary delegate in 2012; something to look forward to down the road! I have attended "General Assembly" twice before as a youth in Salt Lake City, and as a theological student delegate in Syracuse. The Salt Lake assembly was life changing for me, and contributed significantly to my sense of calling to this Church. The large scale worship is incredible, and being there as the delegates sought God's will as such a large group was inspiring to me both times. It made me proud to be a Christian and a Presbyterian. This web site Presbyterian Church (USA) Committee has a list of issues our Church will be dealing with at the assembly. There is a lot of worthwhile reading here! I would love to answer any questions you have about it and I strongly encourage all of you, at any age, to attend a camp or conference event of some type soon. Anyone who has been to Silver Bay, Camp Whitman, the Woman's Triennial, or a Biblical Storytellers event will agree it's worth while! I look forward to all the events coming up in July and August! Read about plans the Congregational Life committee is cooking up, Vacation Bible school, outdoor worship and those traveling for growth and faith. Join in as much as you can! Remember that worship starts at 9:30 am in July and August. Enjoy the warm weather, and thanks ahead for supporting the ministry we do in Christ's name all summer! Fondly! Pastor Aaron

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May 2010 Spring Sacramental Reflections Spring is definitely here to stay! Our spring retreat on May 15th started with more of a chill than we expected, but fortunately the wind died down enough out on the Rabjohn farm for a comfortable wade into the stream. We celebrated a Baptism and a renewal of our Baptismal Vows. The image of water has stayed with me as a tangible memory more from that day than all the lead-up and conversation we have been doing for it. That's the nature of a Sacrament! Interacting with the real elements of water, bread and juice or wine become powerful symbols. Many people experience a "presence" in the sharing of the Lords Supper or the tender grinning moments of a baptism. The Divine presence is indeed very palatable at these times. Surely its an effect of our multiple senses – using more than just our eyes and ears to experience God's presence. The coolness of the water around our feet and hands, the chill as it runs down our foreheads, the smell of the grapes, the texture of the bread, the explosion of taste on our tongues. The Sacraments are a place where we experience the sacred presence of God through real three-dimensional symbols. We immerse our bodies (or parts of them) in the water as a symbol of the grave – going under the earth, and rise out dripping as a symbol of rebirth and new life. We pass the plate, hand by hand, recognizing the lives we are connected to through Christ. We consume the bread and grapes, taking them into our bodies feeling the connection of our very existence to the earth that feeds us, to the God who created it all in love for us. We recognize as Presbyterians these two special moments from Christ's story as opportunities for a special connection with him. His baptism by John in the Jordan River and the last Passover supper with his disciples are ways that Christ is remembered and experienced anew. Many of you have shared with me other "sacramental moments" in life when you felt a special connection to some part of the Trinity. Sometimes its Holy Spirit that we feel, sometimes its the face of Jesus that turns to us with understanding and love. Sometimes we find ourselves in the profound presence of our Creator, awed by the beauty of nature or the wonder of our children. Our lives together are a kind of sacrament too. Family time and church family time shared in common rituals that interpret life and impart its proper meaning. We encounter God in each other as surely as we are Christ's hands and feet and voice. There are many events still coming up for us this season to be together before summer spins us in various directions – and even opportunities to be connected in fellowship and mission together then. I thank you for being a sacrament to me and for letting me be a sacrament for you. May we draw closer to Christ together! Fondly, Pastor Aaron

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April 2010 To be or not to be... what is the church to be? Why do I have to come to church when I can pray anywhere?” “Doesn't God love me whether I'm a member of a church or not?” “Being out in nature makes me feel closer to God than sitting in some old church building with a bunch of people around me. Why should I waste my time that way on a Sunday morning?” “I've got too many obligations already, do I have to add another? Heard any of these remarks before? I have. Have you ever made any of these sorts of remarks yourself? Again, I have. How about hearing folks (or yourself) talk about involvement in church as an obligation? Absolutely, more times than I can count. The “church” that most people are referring to when they make statements like those above, is the church assembled for worship. However, that particular understanding of just what “church is supposed to be” is incorrect. Our church (FPC) is a community of faith just as all churches are. Such church communities were formed so that Christians who were spread throughout the world could gather with other Christians of the area and support one another as they tried to live out the very difficult demands of discipleship. In these communities of faith, Christians did many things together. Together they taught their faith to their children and new converts. Together they protected one another. Together they helped one another in the day to day struggles of simply living. Together they shared all things – not just their material resources but their wisdom, understanding, strengths and skills, care, etc. But most of all, they shared a sense of belonging. We Presbyterians understand that the church is a direct gift from God to us. Brought together by the Holy Spirit, we who belong to God now also belong to one another. (That is what Jesus actually means when he tells us to love one another – see John 13:34.) This act of belonging to one another means that we are our sisters’ and brothers’ keepers JUST AS we are being kept by our sisters and brothers. Our burdens are to be shared, allowing others to help us just as we are allowed to help others... and not just some of the time, but all of the time. All this is to happen within each particular community of faith, or in other words, our church. Thats why we come to church in the first place. Our attending worship is simply a communal response to God' grace and goodness in our lives as individuals and as a community. Its is, among other things a thanksgiving for all those around us through whom we experience the love and care of Christ. What’s that you say? We don't live like that? I know we don't. You know we don’t. The WORLD knows we don't. That is pretty self evident. And that is one of the main reasons why so many folks of all ages are not choosing to turn to church for their spiritual nurturing, but they are looking elsewhere. Church is not just worship. It is far more than that Our ministries are an outlet of Christ's love through which we experience the abundant life that Jesus promised us when we gave our own lives over fully and followed him. Our teaching is the way we pass on that promised abundant life in Christ to generations to come. Our coming together to share bread and drink, questions and insights, suffering and joy, is God's way of binding us together in a deep relationship that is required to live the abundant life in Christ that God so much wants us to enjoy. That’s what the church is supposed to be! And if we but try to participate in this community with this very understanding of what it should be, God can and will meet us in our attempt to live it and make good our efforts. As far as coming to worship goes, your pastor would rather you miss worship once in a while and become more engaged in the whole church's ministry so that you and I and the rest of us can benefit from God's gift of this community. In fact, I will go so far as to suggest that you should actually plan on missing 20% of the Sundays available in a year (11 Sundays), so that you may have/find some more time for family, friends or exploring other opportunities for spiritual development. In return, I ask that you become involved in one of the many ministries that this church has already going on or is trying to develop. And if you DON'T find the ministry that suits you and your sense of what God is asking us to do, I challenge you to find some other folks that want to do it as well and start that ministry together. Thats how it works! You will have my blessing and support. In the long run, this will be a pretty good deal for all of us. God has a plan for this church to continually become a new expression of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can count on that. Now its up to us to respond as those who know that we are part of the plan! Pastor Aaron

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March 2010 There are always lots of different conversations going on in the life of this church. I want to take the opportunity here this month to highlight a few... Maundy Thursday - Potluck and Communion April 1st (No Foolin!) at 6:00 pm in the Assembly Room. In honor of the Lenten season we will keep the meal simple. Please bring Soup, Salad and/or Sandwiches to share. We will share the story of Jesus celebrating his final passover meal with his disciples and enact the sacrament of communion as part of remembering this story around our own meal. Families are welcome to participate as a whole. Presbyterians Today has produced an exceptional periodical for the month of March. (Did you know that Presbyterians had their own magazine?) You can read selected articles here: www.pcusa.org/today or pick up a copy outside our church office. Church officers also get these in their meeting folders. Encourage them to pass theirs on to you when they are done with it! Here are some of the highlights: Want to understand the Apostle's Creed better? See page 4. Need some perspective about declining church statistics? See page 6. Do you want advice talking to children about death? See page 14. Want help preparing a child for Easter, or for Communion? See page 17. A timely perspective on death and funerals: see page 18. How is the Presbyterian Church responding to recent natural disasters? See page 28 and 40. Did you watch the Oscars? There are spiritual perspectives on 2009 films starting on page 36. Need a devotion for a meeting or a Bible study for your small group? See page 47. Conflict Resolution Training Follow-up This is a reminder that our workshops with Jack Heister produced a brainstorming list of action items. The topics covered included adjusting our means of interacting with each other, enhancing outreach and evangelism, pastor feedback, staff communication, Christian education, worship and officer training. Many items on this list have already been acted upon, and others are being addressed by appropriate committees or small groups. Church elders will evaluate our progress at the April session meeting. If you have feedback, please contact myself or one of them. Please contact the church office to obtain a copy of the document. Water, water, everywhere! Have you seen the raindrops around the building? Come to the Spring retreat May 15th to be refreshed by God's Living Water! We have tentative plans with our Ecumenical neighbors across State Street and Main Street to hold a joint Pentecost service at the High School Auditorium on May 23rd. Celebrating the birthday of the church in union with these close friends is an exciting opportunity! We still have some details to iron out, but its worth talking up. This kind of out-of-the-box thinking is just what our brainstorming with Jack Heister called for. Please pray with me that things come together well! As Lent continues, may we be preparing for the Joy of Easter! Peace, Pastor Aaron

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February 2010 "Presbyterian Flavored Evangelism Matthew 5:13-16 You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. On February 7th we talked about Evangelism together in worship, and determined that there is a lot of baggage for Presbyterians when it comes to sharing our faith. We are more sure about how NOT to do it than we are about DOING it. (We allow televangelists, gory Gospel tracts, and soapbox preachers to hijack our faith!) The classic quote from St. Francis of Assisi seems to define our evangelism comfort zone: "Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words." George Sweazey, author of the also classic The Church as Evangelist, agrees with St. Francis in one sense, saying that "our lives are our credentials as evangelists" (p. 33). He is also very frank about another reality however: "A church is thought of by outsiders as a private club. Its good work will not attract outsiders to it. Few who are not members will notice it" (p. 27). At some point, words in some form are necessary. No individual or congregation is so radiant an embodiment of Christ that people can be transformed just by observing us. People will come to Christ, and to church, only if we invite them. They will not just figure it out on their own. And it takes more than just me, and more than just a committee: the extent to which we own this as a whole congregation is the extent to which the Kingdom of God will be made known to people on the outside, and the extent to which we will grow. I mentioned a neat web site which may be helpful in giving us ideas for doing evangelism that is both comfortable for us as modest Presbyterians, and challenging us to be people who are more openly reflective on life to the people around us. The site is doableevangelism.com. Aptly named huh? I love what they describe as "Ordinary Attempts" at evangelism: they are for everyone (including the 90% who are ordinary Christians), they are "doable" (no programs, pitches, personalities or presentations to memorize…phew!) and they have to be fun and natural (not weird…phew, again!) Evangelism is one of the reasons why the church officers have been discussing aspects of Christian doctrine each month before their meetings. It is to give us practice in being conversant in matters of faith. To answer questions and to raise new questions which not only we have, but also just about everyone else we encounter has, each day in our lives outside of the church building. You don't have to be a "Jesus Freak" to have thoughts and opinions about life and death. You don't even have to be "orthodox." One thing that several people have said to me since worship last Sunday is how much they value the safe space this congregation creates to ask questions of faith. There is no litmus test here (or at least a very broad one). At the end of the day we are all persons who have committed to a journey of life together following Jesus Christ as our example and savior. Together we figure out the details of what that means using the tools of the Bible, God's Spirit moving within us and among us, and the Reformed Protestant Church Tradition. I think that's worth sharing with your friends who are not involved with church. Lets not give pat answers, but be honest with how we have wrestled with our own questions. That's a real conversation! Maybe some 'safe space' for exploring faith is what more people need? Common wisdom says, when a church finds its niche in mission and evangelism amazing things happen. Jesus invited Simon Peter and James and John to become "fishers of people," and the world has never been the same. There are many, many ways to fish. I invite you to find your way, and see what a difference it makes to be an active angler for Christ. Aaron

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