God is at work in my life. How do I know? I know because She keeps sending me angels, to provide comfort, guidance, even to give me a good push in a different direction.

Some angels have come and gone in a flash: There was the guy who showed up out of nowhere one rainy day, fixed my broken-down car, and disappeared almost as mysteriously as he arrived.

Some angels have had lasting impact: Craig was a boy in my 7th grade class – smart, friendly, “wicked” cute …and sadly, not the least bit interested in me as a romantic prospect. He did offer me friendship, though, and one day he invited me to a youth group bonfire. Before I knew it, one youth group event turned into ‘every Friday night’ youth group… and Wednesday night Bible study (starting with Revelations, no less!)… and Sunday worship services, which I attended with his family through high school. With a simple gesture of friendship, Craig led me to begin my relationship with God.

Some of my angels are sitting among you: When a child in our Sunday School became unruly and out of control one day, an angel in the form of Cathryn Armstrong happened to come upon us outside of North Hall just as I was reaching my wit’s end. With calm, patience, and caring, Cathryn carried us all through a difficult situation.

Recently, I was visited by two other angels, whom you may know as Hannah and Ruth. These two are the pushy but loving kind of angels that jolt you out of your comfort zone. In this case, they suggested I consider leading Discipleship Ministry. Now, with a “more than full-time” job, and two school-age children, and a host of other volunteer commitments, my plate was already full. But Discipleship Ministry holds all the aspects of church life that I care passionately about: Children’s Education, Sunday Fellowship, Missions and Justice, and Adult enrichment. And so with the guidance of these two beautiful angels, I’ve decided to take this leap of faith in covenant with God.

These are but a few of the angels that I have known. Together, they have shown me the face of God, reflected in their acts of inspiration, guidance and mercy. I am thankful to God for angels past, present and future.

My faith journey has been a lifelong struggle throughout my participation in several faith communities.

I was raised Presbyterian in Pittsburgh. We attended my mom’s family church, an incredible Gothic cathedral seating more than 2,000, in the middle of a blighted urban area. None of my friends went there, the services were formal and I never really connected to it. To join church we had to memorize the entire shorter Catechism, take a difficult exam, and then be grilled by the Session, a group of old men, to ensure we were “qualified” to join. It was NOT a spiritually uplifting and meaningful experience.

I lived in Atlanta after college. After sporadically attending church in high school and college, I joined one of the largest Presbyterian churches in the country (today with 8,000 members). The senior minister was charismatic with a TV ministry all over the South. I joined primarily for the social aspects – the young adult group had a fun softball team and great adventure trips. But many of my peers were far too conservative and I was uncomfortable again.

After business school, I moved to Boston. I searched for a Presbyterian church and found one in Newton. I joined partly because my mother worried that I was “un-churched” and I was her only hope among her three kids. I became a Deacon, then an Elder, but again I was not really comfortable. I had a male friend who was asked to become a Deacon – but he was gay and in the closet – and that was not OK. But the final blow was being invited to dinner with the minister and his wife right after I got engaged to Dan (who is Jewish). The purpose of that dinner was to convince me NOT to marry him because he is Jewish. I was appalled.   It was hard enough dealing with Dan’s father, a rabbi opposed to inter-marriage. I didn’t need my church to turn its back on me.

When we moved to Concord, I helped found an interfaith group, couples with one Christian and one Jew. This informal group met monthly for 7 years and was truly a “God-send” for me. I learned more from these couples than I ever learned in any church setting. We all struggled to figure out how best to raise our children. This is when I also found WCUC, a place where I felt support for our family’s situation. Sadly that was not the case at our temple – the former rabbi never accepted the spiritual path we chose for our children.

Now that my kids are 20 and nearly 18, I am back on my own personal spiritual journey. I feel drawn to spirituality rather than Christianity per se, perhaps because most of my “church” life has not been great. I am grateful to have found this congregation as I continue on my path – and hope to deepen my spiritual life and connection to God in the coming years.

As many of you know, I was in my early 30’s when I became a Christian. My life was in crisis; my first marriage was coming apart and I was not happy in my work. In hopes of strengthening our marriage, my first wife and I began attending the local UCC church and receiving counseling from the pastor.

Up to that point, I had been, at best, an agnostic. I found there were parts of Christianity like Communion that were particularly mystifying, even off-putting.

Somewhat reluctantly, I agreed to go on a church retreat. The first day, I became more aware of the distress I felt about of our failing marriage. In my dream that night, Jesus was carrying my broken body in his arms, walking through muck up to his knees. Yet, I felt strangely safe and close to him. The next morning understanding for the first time, I took communion, tears flowing in gratitude for God’s love.

Since that conversion, I have had a growing sense of the Holy Spirit’s presence. But most of the time, it is only in retrospect I have realized her presence. For example:

• I believe it was the Spirit who inspired me to announce one night in a small support group that I was going to theological school. Believe me, I was as surprised as anybody when I realized what I had just said.
• I believe it was the Spirit who led me to become a student pastor at this church, to be inspired by Forster Freemen and, most importantly from my standpoint, to meet, eventually fall in love with and be married to the love of my life, Polly. That was when I experienced God’s resurrecting power.
• More recently, it is the Spirit who called and continues to empower me as a volunteer for Communities for Restorative Justice.
• Likewise, I realize now it was at the Spirit’s urging that I first said yes to becoming Treasurer of this church and later to walk into Hannah’s office with the insane idea that I would like to lead our stewardship efforts.

I continue to feel the Spirit’s presence inspiring me. That feeling is not always there, but it is very reassuring when I realize her presence. I am grateful to God and this congregation for the way I have been nurtured, empowered and, in the tough times, held in love.

I do not believe that I was born to be a caregiver and yet that is how I define myself. When I was younger, I remember struggling to take care of myself – not taking care of others. I was the fourth of seven children and I do not remember helping to care for my younger siblings. My father was ill for the last four years of his life. I was 16 and I did not take care of him because I was afraid of doing something wrong.

I wanted to learn how to take care of people and I wanted to feel confident in caring for others. Going to Georgia Baptist Hospital School of Nursing was the most significant event in my life – before John and my children. I found this note in my old bible recently. It was from a woman in my little country church. She gave it to me the day she took me to Atlanta in 1967 to begin nursing school. “Dear Ann, Keep your chin up, your heart happy, your eyes turned toward your “high calling”. Ever keep your hand and heart ready to serve. Depend on your Lord and Savior for surely He is to be found in this place. Call us if ever your need us – collect. God loves you. Joyce”. I was at a place where I could learn to take care of people – but a place where I was cared for also. The religious part of my nursing education was woven into our care of patients. Every Wednesday after Vesper Service, we walked around outside of the hospital and sang. Some of the older patients thought they had died and were hearing the angels singing. Our hospital was a faith centered place of healing. I felt that this was definitely God’s plan for my life. I felt that I belonged there and people cared about me – friends, instructors, faculty, even patients.

So, how did I become a caregiver? I truly believe that God has blessed me in so many ways, that I find it easy to share that love and care with others. At one of my jobs, I walked into a room of a 97 year old lady that I had never met before. I walked in and smiled and said hello. She said, “oh my where did you get that incredible smile? – you look just like sunshine.” I was a little stunned but I said the first thing that came to my head, “I am incredibly blessed with a wonderful husband who loves me and two terrific sons”. I did not tell her of some of my other blessings. I always have a warm home to go to; I always have plenty of food; I have wonderful friends who love me; I have an education and a job (if I want one); I have a large family; and I have a faith community that is the foundation of my life. I find it so easy to visit with people, hold their hands, listen to their stories, share my nursing skills, share my laughter, and share God’s love. I always say that I love “old people” and that is true. But now I am one of them! In fact I love most people, especially the elderly and my “church kids”, and the children and grandchildren of my friends, and just about anyone else.

I have been given so much in this life. My journey as a caregiver is a gift from God. My life’s journey is one of sharing and caring yet receiving so much more that I give.

I have been struggling lately with seeing God in my life. It’s not a deep crisis of conscience, but rather a consequence of the fruition and convergence of my volunteer activities. I am REALLY busy, and I want to do a good job because I have chosen my volunteer activities carefully. They are important to me because, in large part, they have a strong spiritual resonance. They involve people and communities for whom I care deeply. They are places where I have felt the presence of God.

It’s oddly paradoxical to me that I am so caught up in the worry of successfully executing logistics that I cannot look for, nor appreciate their actual spiritual gifts. I feel more confused than inspired, more agitated than at peace.

On Monday, I received an email from Judy, our Church Administrator. “Dear Andrew, thank you for giving testimony this Sunday, December 14.” I know that I volunteered for all this, but do they all have to activate at the same time?!?

My mind turned to the testimony every available, disconnected second it could.
“I have to write a testimony. How is God active in my life?
I have to write a testimony, “How is God active in my life?”
I have to write a testimony – how is God active in my life? – I have to write a testimony.
How is God active in my life? – I have to write a testimony!!

The testimony writing IS the vehicle of how God is trying to be active in my life. It is forcing me to get out of my navel-gazing and to surrender to a bigger perspective.

In bible study, David and Keith keep reminding us that to repent is to turn – to turn more fully towards God. I think that the added requirement of this testimony at this time has required a mini repentance of me. I have had no choice but to let go of most of my angst and worry, and in so doing, things have fallen a little better into place.

Just now, I am a little more humbled.
Just now, I don’t take myself quite so seriously,
Just now, I smile and laugh at myself a little more.
Just now, I find myself saying, “Thank you!” to God, a little bit more,
Just now, I also find myself a little more inclined to say to God, “Bring it on!”

Last Sunday marked the first Sunday of Advent, and our Multiage class met together with the preschool class to greet this new season with a beautiful opening ritual with candles, song, and prayer. After our opening gathering, our multiagers continued our exploration of Advent with a lively discussion based on the passage of Isaiah 40, which speaks words of comfort and hope for the people, as well as of a God who has unending strength, wisdom, and power. Our conversation steered toward the birth of Jesus and how this baby represents the comfort, hope, and peace that was foretold in Isaiah. As always, many wondering questions erupted from this conversation. Here are a sample of just a few:

We wondered: if God came to earth as Jesus, and God and Jesus are one, how is God Jesus’ father too?
We wondered: if God made the whole universe and knows it so well that He can name every star, who made God? How was God born?
We wondered: why are we making Christmas cards for criminals? Then we wondered: what would Jesus do? Would Jesus make cards and gifts for people in prison or would he ignore them and think they should be punished?

Some of these questions gave way to relatively simple answers, and some were much more difficult – prompting even more discussion. This is nothing new for our class though. Our children, ages six through eleven, often numbering 17-20 (or more!) children every time we meet, never fail to astound me with their depth of thoughtfulness and understanding. It is a joy to watch them process, wonder, and learn each week – the tough questions, the simple lessons, the classic stories – and in turn, teach me so much about God and the bible and the lessons within. We ended our discussion together last week with one last wondering question: what is your family’s favorite Advent tradition? Now this was a question that was easy for them to answer, and some of you even participated last Sunday at the Advent Event, adding your responses to our Christmas tree displayed downstairs. Here are some of the posted responses to your favorite Advent traditions:

Cookies!
Going sledding
Having Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve
Watching Charlie Brown Christmas and A Christmas Story
Spending time with family
Putting up the crèche that I made many years ago – and having my granddaughter help this year!
Family gathering together
Making mint brownies!
Working on the Advent Craft Fair
The Advent Spiral
Making an Advent calendar
Singing Advent hymns as table graces – one for each day
Decorating the tree!
Picking out presents for needy children
We donate to an animal rescue
Having lobster on Christmas
Cleaning out old toys to make room for new and donating them to other children
We wrap 24 books (that we already own) and open and read one a night to count down to Christmas
Playing our special Christmas CD while we decorate
Watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas as a family
Picking a Christmas Tree!

May your Advent be filled with wonder and joy, two things our children bring consistently to their learning and explorations each time we meet. To experience this season through the eyes of a child is a gift, and one that I am blessed with every single Sunday. Thanks be to God!

God is at work in my life through my volunteering with Sunday Fellowship, West Concord Union Church’s vibrant ministry with developmentally disabled adults. I’ve been a minister with this group since around the year 2000, and I consider it to be an integral part of my life.

Many of the participants who come to the twice monthly Sunday afternoon Sunday Fellowship meetings live in group homes run by Minuteman ARC. Part of my ministry is to visit six of these homes on the Saturday afternoon before the Sunday service to drop off a reminder flyer about the service and to say hello to whoever is home. Let me walk you through a typical round of visits to the houses.

I start at the Roosevelt Street house in Maynard, where Hillary is often working when I visit. She always answers the door quickly and brings me into the living room to see Christina and Kathy, and Debbie who may be visiting.

Then I go over to Acton Road in Maynard. I had visited this house many times, but no ever came to Sunday Fellowship…until recently! Another woman named Christina moved into Acton Road, and the staff learned that she wanted to attend. So they brought her to a recent Sunday Fellowship service, and her presence brought a new level of joy to our group.

Continuing into Concord, I next arrive at the Emerson House on West Street. The last time I went there the men were all sitting down to a late lunch, but Sid, the staff member, still welcomed me into the dining room, and I shared a hearty “hello” with Charles, Eddie, Paul, George and Dennis.

Onward I continue to Derby Street where Megan, Lisa, Joan Marie and Sarah live. Lisa is particularly happy that I got married last January, and she regularly asks me, “How’s your husband?”

Then I go to the Carter Building on Main Street where Brian, Chris, Lola, Mary, Cherita and Jeannie live. Last time I went there, they all swarmed around me, telling me about their jobs and how they are practicing for the upcoming Christmas musical.

My last stop is at the Thoreau Street house in Concord Center. This is my challenging house because I’ve had a hard time making headway there. I know that residents Bruce and Steven like to attend Sunday Fellowship, but I haven’t been able to get the staff to make a firm commitment to bring them the next day. But I’ll keep stopping by and reaching out to them. After all, my persistence worked with Acton Road, where Christina is now attending Sunday Fellowship.

Looking back on this summary of a trip to the Minuteman ARC houses, I realize that I’ve done a lot of “name dropping”. I’ve named the names of a lot of the friends that I have in Sunday Fellowship…friends who welcome me into their homes without hesitation. What a blessing!

So God really is at work in my life. God has brought these wonderful friends into my life, and has woven me into the fabric of the community. Thank God for Sunday Fellowship.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 NIV

When I came to WCUC for the first time about 4 years ago, I was overjoyed when I found a young woman pastor, especially when I heard God referred to as “She.” I love the elevated role of women in this church compared to my Catholic upbringing. At one of the women’s retreats in Craigville that I attended a few years ago, we stood in a circle and passed stones that we had each brought with us from hand to hand. When my stone made its way back to me, the power and energy of each woman in the circle was evident in the heat it had absorbed. It was an amazing physical sensation of our energy and proof that we’re a strong bunch.

I’ve needed that strength lately. It’s been quite a year, but the song that came on the radio right after I got my cancer diagnosis told me that “every little thing gonna be alright.” I read “Proof of Heaven” just as an assurance that everything would be all right, even in the worst case scenario. But luckily it turns out breast cancer is no match to the strength of your prayers because I felt God’s hands on me at the healing service here last year. I felt God in the arms of my daughter’s teacher when she told me that the Lord is wrapping me in His love and wouldn’t let me be harmed. I am grateful to have family, friends and neighbors who brought me meals, took me out for ice cream, cleaned my home, took care of my children, sent me cards, and let me cry on their shoulders. Thank you to those who referred me to their amazing doctors at Dana Farber and Emerson, and led me to the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden for emotional support as well as physical pampering. Thank you to the scientists among us who are developing lifesaving drugs that enables me to be here today. I am grateful for the survivors who shared their stories with me and gave me encouragement. I am grateful for your prayers for continued health. I thank God for the privilege to be a mother to three beautiful children, and the wife to a smart, funny, and wonderfully supportive husband. I thank God for loving me and for giving me this life. I thank God for showing Herself in all of you.