1The Lifeline – December 2007

the Lifelinethe LifelineNORWICH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHUNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

DE C E M BE R 2007

Some Favorite Books the Sunday Some Favorite Books the Sunday School Children are Sending to School Children are Sending to

New Orleans for ChristmasNew Orleans for Christmas

Cover photos by Steven Lufkin

The Lifeline – December 20072

2007 CHURCH OFFICERSCHURCH COUNCILChair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John GrantVice-chair . . . . . . .Katherine BroussardAt-large Member . . . . . David Johnstone

BOARD OF DEACONSSenior Deacons: . . . . . Anne Broussard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Fawcett Lynne LaBombard, Harry Dorman, Amy Wyatt, Doug Lufkin,Sarah Reeves, Don Helms

BOARD OF TRUSTEESChair: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chuck EgnerWillemien Miller, Marie-Elise Young, Mark Lindberg, Martin Witschi

BOARD OF MISSIONChairs: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diane Riley . . . . . . . . . . . . Rita SeveringhausBarbara Duncan, Letha Mills, Rick Von Unwerth, Katy Gerke, Sharon Corrigan

BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONChairs: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Grant Bob Miller, Ryan Adams, Henry Higgs, Ellen Gnaedinger, Jinny Brack

OFFICERSAuditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rob TitusClerk . . . . . . . . . . .Christopher Ashley Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary SachsseCollector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Pond Assistants . . . . . . . Stanton Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter FrenchDelegates . . Peg Post, Doris Van Keuren Alternates . . . . . . . . . Cleta Wheeler, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don PoulsonHead Usher . . . . . . John & Sarah WareHistorian . . . . . . . . . . .Marion GauthierModerator . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brooke Mohr Assistant . . . . . . . John SeveringhausTreasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Jacobs Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mel Biggs

Flower CommitteeDeb Van Arman, Jolanda Witschi, Shirley Parker

Hospitality CommitteeMarty James, Celina Barton,Nancy Hoggson, Jo Dorman, Anne Egner, Katherine Broussard

Investment CommitteePeter Mertz, Judy Moore, David Otto

Music CommitteeCo Emlen, Erica Hamer, Linda Himadi, Jon Voelkel

Nominating CommitteeMary Keeley, Mary Sachsse,Cleta Wheeler, Flos Henry

Stewardship & Gifts CommitteeBrooke Mohr, Herb Maurer, Jenny Williams, Vicky Fish, Deb Berryman, Karen Evans

Woodworth Fund CommitteeDick Broussard, Laird Myers, Cleta Wheeler, Avery Post, Judy Hobbs

NORWICH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHDouglas S. Moore . . . . . . . . . Senior PastorMary R. Brownlow . . . . . . Associate PastorKathleen Sherlock-Green . . Choir DirectorJane Chase Helms . . . . . . Organist Emerita

Tacy Colaiacomo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OrganistMary Magavern Sachsse . . Office ManagerBrooke Mohr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BookkeeperRichard Broussard . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sexton

IF YOU WANT TO DONATE FLOWERS FOR WORSHIP...please contact Deb van Arman at 649-1723 for help, information, or to sign up. You may also sign up on the “Flowers” sheet posted at the back of the church.

Christmas Eve Poinsettias

Honor or memorialize someone dear to you by purchasing a Poin-settia to decorate our sanctuary on Christmas Eve! Please fill out this form and return with payment by Wednesday, December 19. Poinset-tias are $12.95 each.

___ Red ___ Burgundy ___ Creme ___ Let the church choose

Poinsettia(s) are given by: ___________________________________

In honor of: _____________________________________________

In memory of: ___________________________________________

o I will pick up my Poinsettia after the 9pm Christmas Eve service.o Please deliver my Poinsettia to someone at home.

Place this order form in the offering plate, or mail it to the office: Norwich Congregational Church, PO Box 236, Norwich, VT 05055,

attn: Poinsettias. Please make your check payable to Norwich Congregational Church.

Thanks to all those at NCC who donated time, talent and substance to our Christmas Bazaar on Nov. 17th.

The quilt was won by Laurie Hazard of Norwich.

3The Lifeline – December 2007

I am heading into my 63rd Christmas. Not as many as some, but more than many I am certain. Though I do not remember the Christmas of ’44, I do remember (in a rather jumbled way) many of my Christmases. I remember the first time one of our cats (Boda?) pulled down the tree on Christ-mas Eve. It marked – with a huge crash – the first time we all got to see presents under the tree before Christmas morning. I remember the year I received one toy truck after another all made of plastic! I am not sure if I had ever seen the stuff before and suddenly I had a whole fleet of plastic dump trucks, cement mixers, and flat beds. There was the year I got a Hopalong Cassidy outfit (all black) and a Hoppy rifle which my friend fell on and broke Christmas after-noon! And I remember the anxiety of Christmas as well: Would Dad receive a Christmas bonus? If not, we believed there would be no Christmas. We always wondered, and we always had Christmas. And I remember so well going to bed Christmas night, still excited but also deeply troubled knowing

the next Christmas could not be further away than at that very moment.

Over the years my memories of Christmas have grown: My first Christmas with Judy and her family, our first Christmas with a child of our own, the first time our “kids” were old enough to come home for Christmas, the first time that Judy and I were suddenly the oldest generation present. Blended with the “firsts” are all of the old regulars: Christmas carols, Christ-mas Eve at church, cookies baked, iced and eaten, wrapping presents, the long, slow pace of Christmas day and the steady but pleasant clean up as the day progresses. And each year I remember the promise made the year before not to get trapped again into thinking one more gift – the perfect gift – must be in some store/catalogue somewhere. Each year I have to re-remember that the Perfect Gift has been given and that is why we have Christmas in the first place.

I approach this Christmas loaded with memories. Each year I carry a few new ones forward just as certainly as I discard a few of the older ones. Each year this means I anticipate Christmas in a slightly different way because I see it coming through a slightly differ-ent memory. Though the details of

the anticipation of encountering Christmases past in the Christmas to come change, there is one con-stant which seems to grow brighter each year.

Each year I anticipate the renewal of hope to be found in Christmas. I look forward to giving and receiving gifts and to shared time with family, church and friends. But what I truly anticipate is the renewal of hope. All of my Christmas day memories, from the fleet of plastic trucks to the broken Hoppy rifle to flying to Florida with Judy and two grown children to help rebuild homes, ultimately come down to this one truth. I look forward to Christmas as the renewal of hope: Hope in giving and receiving; hope in sharing and being together; hope in carrying the goodness of the past into the unknown of the future; hope in again discovering the Christ Child bundled in reverent and joyous certainty that God’s will for Peace for All shall come to pass.

Doug Moore

Pastor’s Note

PHO

TO: S

COTT

MU

IRH

EAD

The Lifeline – December 20074

This Christmas Eve our church will be celebrating an extra event, and a most unusual one, too: the seventieth anniversary of David and Atossa French, the parents of Peter French. They were married on Christmas Day in 1937. Born in 1914, they are both 93. They are living in Havenwood-Heritage Heights, a retirement community in Concord, New Hampshire. They still spend summers at the family Tree Farm in Sunapee, which has been a family anchor since the late 1800’s. The whole family is coming to Norwich to celebrate this Platinum Anniversary.

David and Atossa have led a singular life, living in exotic places in the Far East: East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Korea, Cambodia, and Thailand.

“My parents met at the Chicago Theological Seminary where they were studying to be ministers. Both my grandfathers

were ministers,” says Peter. “In 1951 my father went on to get a social work degree and a doctorate in sociology. He taught at Brandeis and later began accepting UN as-signments in international develop-ment assistance. In the mid 70’s my parents worked with Church World Service, where they coordinated Cambodian relief efforts follow-ing the Pol Pot years. In 1971 they made the ultimate road trip in a ’69 VW bus from Bangkok to London; 14,000 miles via Singapore, Madras, Kabul, Tehran, Instabul and Paris.

“My mother is a member of the first graduating class of Bennington College. She has always worked closely with my dad; they truly are a team. Between raising us four kids and being the “stabilizer” for Dad’s frenetic energy, mom has always managed to read extensively and play piano and recorder. To this day she still plays gigs with her friends. The name Atossa is an old fam-ily name. It comes from Atossa, a queen of Persia who was a daughter of Cyrus the Great, wife of King Darius, and mother of Xerxes. She was the first royal to convert to

Zoroastrianism. Atossa was one of the most prominent women in Persia’s history.

“For all his social do-gooding and traveling the globe, my Dad is happiest while digging in the dirt. He still maintains a fleet of antique farm equipment and loves working on the tree farm. He walks at least an hour every day and is constantly assisting others in need. He is up early and naps religiously after lunch. Once when I was 14 years old, he and I were driving to New York City. After lunch, it was nap time, so he told me to take the wheel. I was a farm kid and knew how to drive. I took the ’52 Chevy over the Tappan Zee Bridge (paid the toll and all) and into the city while he snored next to me. We made the 2 o’clock appointment at the UN. No problem.

Carol and Peter are busy mak-ing plans to house and feed Peter’s whole family for this event. Our church will be all decked out with bells on for this special and joyful occasion.

Platinum Anniversary

David & Atossa French(Peter French’s parents)

The Norwich Congregational Church, UCC is in the process of changing brokerage fi rms. Anyone interested in gifting stocks to the church should contact Brooke Mohr fi rst so that it can all happen smoothly.Brooke's offi ce hours are on Wednesdays 8 - 12 and her email address is nccbrooke@verizon.net.

5The Lifeline – December 2007

From the Associate Pastor

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good.”

Genesis 1:3-4

The symbolism of light and darkness is ancient, older than the Bible and found all over the world. It is full of rich meaning. Darkness is associated with blindness, night, sleep, cold, gloom, despair, loss, chaos, death, danger and yearning for the dawn. It can also be seen as an image of the human condition. Light is seen as the opposite and cure for those dark qualities: an image of salvation. When it is light, we are awake, we can see and find our way; we feel relief and rejoice that the night is over. We feel safe and warm.

Light is associated with creation in Genesis. It is also a way to speak about enlightenment, about learn-ing the best way to live.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Psalm 119:105

The Hebrew prophets used the picture of the coming of light to speak of the time of deliverance from slavery.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them has light shined.”

Isaiah 9:2

The beautiful words of these prophets informed the wishes and hopes of the people of Israel as they waited for their Messiah.

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord

has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and God's glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”

Isaiah 60:1-3

In the birth stories of the Gos-pels of Matthew and Luke, we hear more about light shining in the darkness. Matthew tells us about a star shining in the night sky and leading the wise men (sometimes thought of as kings because of the Isaiah 60 passage) to the place of Je-sus’ birth, the “dawn” of salvation.

“They set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.”

Matthew 2:9

Luke also echoes the passage from Isaiah: the glory of the Lord is a kind of brightness in the night.

“There were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.”

Luke 2:8-9

The first chapter of Gospel of John (not a birth story) makes the most explicit use of light and dark imagery, and harkens back to the Genesis story.

“In the beginning was the Word…What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.…The true light,

which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”

John 1: 1-9

All these beautiful and powerful symbolic narratives come to my mind at this time of year. When we are speaking of the metaphori-cal darkness of loss and despair, and looking for a “glimmer” of hope, I remember those scriptural promises. When we experience the literal darkness of Main Street as the late afternoon night closes in, and I see the Norwich Congrega-tional Church lit from within and sending out its glow, I remember that Jesus said,

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 9:5

In this season, we remember that Jesus has not left us in dark-ness. We celebrate his presence among us in song and prayer and friendship and generosity. The bright windows of the sanctuary shine out on the dark world. May we all be enlightened by the pres-ence of the Christ child, and shine the light of love wherever we walk in his way.

Mary Brownlow

The Lifeline – November 20076

UCC ConnectionsIn some ways, The Vermont Conference of the United Church of Christ is like a local church

on a larger scale. Like the Norwich Congregational Church, it has Bylaws, which occasionally need revision. Both the Vermont Conference and our Windsor-Orange Association are in the midst of revision processes this year. More information on the Conference Constitution and Bylaws can be found at: http://vtcucc.org/bylaws.html

If you are interested in working on the new Association Bylaws, please let Mary or Doug know and they can put you in touch with the people involved.

In 2005, our former Conference Minister, Rev. Arnold Thomas, left Vermont to take a position at Riverside Church in New York City. For about 20 months, Rev. Susan Henderson served as Interim while the search process began. Members of the Conference Minister Search Commit-tee are both clergy and lay people from every Association in the state. They are now beginning to interview candidates.

Carole Carlson took on the role of Interim Conference Minister in September of this year and plans to stay with us until the search process is completed early next summer. Rev. Carlson retired to Vermont in 2005 after having served for a total of 21 years on Conference staffs in Connecticut and New Hampshire. While in Connecticut she served as Associate Conference Minister for Clergy Concerns with a particular focus on training Committees on Ministry and overseeing Search and Call. During her 16 years in New Hampshire she served as one of the Conference Ministers with a broad administrative and pastoral portfolio. Her previous ministry positions were in Colorado and Utah. Carole has degrees from the University of California at Berkeley , Yale University Divinity School, and San Francisco Theological Seminary. She is a member of College Street Congregation-al Church, UCC, in Burlington. During the fall of 2006 she served as a member of the Vermont Conference staff while Pam Lucas was on sabbatical leave.

Rev. Pam Lucas has been on staff as Associate Conference Minister since 2000 and continues to assist churches with searching for and calling new pastors.

Mary Brownlow

December Mission Offering: Christmas FundOur Mission offering for December is the Christmas Fund, which provides pension and health premium assis-

tance to low-income UCC retirees. The Christmas Fund provides year-round support to seminarians who experience a financial hardship; to active clergy and lay UCC employees whose financial situations have been compromised by tragedy or illness; and to retired clergy and lay employees with marginal incomes. The fund supplements their incomes and the payment of health benefit premiums. The fund also provides emergency grants and ministerial as-sistance.

Please use the communion envelopes to contribute to the Christmas Fund. Checks are payable to the Norwich Congregational Church.

7The Lifeline – December 2007

Present: John Grant, Mary Brownlow, Dave Johnstone, Jim Fawcett, Brooke Mohr, Christopher Ashley

John called the meeting to order at 7:03 PM and Mary opened with a prayer.

Trustees: C. Egner had emailed a report to

John Grant. The 2007 budget had a deficit of $17,000; this was down from the $40,000 projected at the annual meeting last February. Work on the 2008 budget was progressing. A lease for the parsonage has been signed- one year with an option of an additional year by either party. Either party can opt out after July 1, 2008 with a 90 day written notice. A committee will be formed to discuss the maintenance work the Parsonage needs. Discussions are continuing with an applicant for the sextant

position. The Trustees are going to begin to look for tenants for the newly constructed space. The draft of a gift policy is ongoing. B. Mohr reported that a brokerage account had been opened at Ledyard Bank for selling stock gifts; it will be operated according to last month’s motions regarding signing authority and access.

Stewardship: B. Mohr reported that the

church had received 90 pledges for a total of $164,000; this is similar to where the Church was a year ago. More pledges were expected.

Deacons: The Deacons had discussed the

schedule for new members joining, and the holiday services sched-ule. The December second hour sessions were going to be about personal hospice.

Missions: M. Brownlow reported that the

Board of Missions had discussed Holiday Basket Helpers.

Christian Ed.: M. Brownlow reported that the

Board of Christian Education had spent time on space issues and the transition back to the new build-ing. A project to support children in New Orleans was being planned. The new confirmation class would have 2-3 members.

Minutes of October 10, 2007 were approved unanimously after agreeing to change Communion Class to Confirmation Class under Christian Ed.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 12, 2007. Meeting Ad-journed at 7:48.

Christopher Ashley, Clerk

Minutes of Church Council: November 14, 2007

babe dreaming of swirl eyed stars and blowing snow

sleeping in grasses of summer

Linda Himadi

Don & Jane Helms with Penny & Stuart Chase (Jane’s brother)

Tacy Colaiacomo with guest organist Dr. Andrew Galuska

Dick Broussard

From the Dedication & Celebration SundayNovember 25, 2007

The Lifeline – December 20078

Non-profi tOrganizationUS Postage

PAIDNorwich, VTPermit No. 1

NORWICH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHUnited Church of Christ

15 Church Street • PO Box 236 Norwich, VT 05055-0236

(802) 649-1433Email: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .nccucc2@verizon.netWebsite: . . . . .www.norwichcongregational.orgSenior Pastor: . . . . . . . Rev. Douglas S. MooreAssociate Pastor: . . . . Rev. Mary R. Brownlow

AN OPEN AND AFFIRMING CONGREGATION WORSHIPING ON

SUNDAYS AT 10 AM

We, the members of the Norwich Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, declare ourselves to be an open and affirming congregation. God cre-ated each of us. As recipients of God’s grace and love, unearned and freely given, we are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Accordingly, we will strive to welcome people of every sexual orientation, ethnic origin, physical or mental ability, economic status, marital status, or age, as we welcome all God’s children, regardless of any distinction that has become a barrier to the love we are commanded to embody.

With God’s help, we will work to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

LIFELINECoordinator. . . . . . . . . . . . Mary R. BrownlowEditor/Photographer: . . . . . . . . . Linda HimadiDesigner: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Douglas LufkinEmail: . . . . . . . Lifeline@LufkinGraphics.com

Deadline for next issue: December 20, 2007 Advent Services and Programs

Sunday, December 2: First Sunday of Advent10 am - Worship

Sunday, December 9: Second Sunday of Advent10 am - Worship with Junior Choir Advent Musical“The Legend of the Christmas King”

Sunday, December 16: Third Sunday of Advent10 am - Worship5 pm - Advent potluck and carol sing

Sunday, December 23: Fourth Sunday of Advent10 am - Worship

Monday, December 24: Christmas Eve6 pm - Family Service of Lessons and Carols9 pm - Traditional Service of Lessons and Carols

Sunday, December 3010 am - Worship, annual service of dedication

Christ Climbed Down, Sixth Stanza

Christ climbed downfrom His bare Treethis yearand softly stole away intosome anonymous Mary's womb againwhere in the darkest nightof everybody's anonymous soulHe awaits againan unimaginableand impossiblyImmaculate Reconceptionthe very craziestof Second Comings

Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1919 - )