2009.12.28 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning, on this last Monday of 2009, from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

I thank you for your responses to Monday Morning, and I am constantly being surprised by the increasing number of people who get Monday Morning, either directly from the Church Office or by you sending copies to family and friends.

As we ring out the old year, I think of saints - not canonized saints - but ordinary imperfect people who belonged to the rank and file of everyday life.

"My saints" seldom talked about what they were doing, but their attitude and action showed the beautiful quality of their inner life. They gave a new surge to my faith, enabling me to recover the potential greatness of human life...

Walk with "your saints" into the New Year. You'll find them more impressive than ever. Then, "go and do likewise!"

Cheers! With thanks, I lift a glass of gladness in your honor.

Richard

2009.12.21 Monday Morning!

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

It is a good thing at Christmas to listen again to the message that heralded the birth of Jesus: "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy!"

Please don't identify your Christian faith with gloom and doom! Don't be fooled by hyper religious (fanatics?) who are negative and critical of all who disagree with them.

The birth of Jesus sounded an anthem not a dirge. Christianity is not a long list of negatives. Keep your sense of humor and do what is right. I know a few agnostics who live closer to the spirit of Christ than some of the ultra pious folk in churches who believe the proof of their goodness is in direct proportion to the number of their inhibitions.

The Christian gospel is not negative. Even in these difficult days of war and economic woes, bring your radiant faith out of the shadows. God will give you the thrill of Christmas: God still is with you; rejoice, the Son of God has come to us.

Enjoy!

Richard

2009.12.14 Monday Morning!

Christmas is in the air, and as we make our way to the cradle of the Christ child, we send greetings of joy and good tidings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

The town is decked out in its best Christmas attire, and despite an economic downturn, people are shopping for gifts. I hear much complaint about commercialism at Christmas time, but I wonder if that is all bad. It seems to me that there are two kinds of people in our world - people who want to share and people who don't want to share.

If Christmas brings out a spirit of sharing, I'm all for it. Doesn't the Christmas story tell us that men from the east brought gifts for Jesus, the babe in a manger?

Giving to your Church and your favorite charity in the spirit of Christmas isn't a bad idea. And, being generous with your gifts to loved ones may be just the ticket to get you in the mood to rediscover the help and love of God which all of us need year 'round.

Cheers! No Scrooge am I,

Richard

2009.12.07 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

When those of us remember the attack on Pearl Harbor on this day, December 7, 1941, we will never forget where we were when we heard the breaking news on radio. My question, after all these years, is what have we learned?

I write only for myself, of course, but I've learned to believe more strongly than ever in Christ's reassuring message that people need not be eternally chained to the transgressions of the past. Repentance and reconciliation are God's way of providing new beginnings. Enemies in World War II are now friends, united to defeat a new enemy, world-wide terrorism.

At a personal level, with a consciousness of God's abiding presence with us, we can conquer selfish mistakes, repent and be free from the shackles of yesterday.

"Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide, in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side; though the cause of evil prosper, yet 'tis truth alone is strong; though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong, yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown, standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own."

Blessed are the peacemakers...a pearl of value for everyday!

Richard

Christmas Service Invitation at 1st Presbyterian Church in Chelsea

All are invited to attend the Christmas Eve service at 1st Presbyterian Church of Chelsea. The service will be at 7:00 pm on Christmas Eve. The congregation will be taking part in the service and we would like to know if anyone who plans on attending would like to be a reader. If so please contact me via email or at 918.639.8364 or John Wooley (pedrocriqui@gmail.com) at 918.342.0339.

If you would please announce this invitation in Church we would appreciate it and as always we would love to see our friends from Vinita. Please feel free to bring friends and family.

Alaine Dye
1st Presbyterian Church of Chelsea

2009.11.30 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

Have you ever taken time to draw up a list of all those things which you have and could lose?  This is an exercise that will provide you with endless reasons to be thankful!

Rather than think about things you yearn to acquire, give some thoughts for your assets.  How seldom most of us express thanks for our vision, our limbs, our sanity, our ability to speak, our ability to eat.

It often takes a serious threat to the blessing we have to make us aware of them, let alone to be thankful for them.

Value those blessings

2009.11.23 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of beautiful Vinita, Oklahoma.

As our national Thanksgiving Day approaches, I think of a courageous group of people who withstood discouragement to bravely venture to the shores of a new land. They were strong enough to resist defeatism.

I hope you are not among the many who fear defeatism and resist new duties and new adventures. All of us, I suspect, run away from certain challenges because we have little confidence in our ability. Then, in the aftermath of an event, or a great emergency, we are surprised to find ourselves equal to heavy demands placed upon us.

Have you ever heard yourself say, "I didn't know I had it in me!"

Don't underestimate yourself!


Fond regards,
Richard

2009.11.09 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

November 1, 2009 was All Saints Day. Half way through our worship in the sanctuary, we carpooled and went to Pheasant Hill Cemetery, about seven miles out of town.. There, in a beautiful site where founders of our Church are buried, we celebrated the Lord's Supper.

Those early pioneer Presbyterian missionaries, who had to know loneliness, privations, illness and discouragement, persevered in their work and gathered a congregation for worship in 1882.

My question to the present Pilgrim congregation is why did those missionaries - there were four of them - continue their work? Certainly they recognized the strategic importance of this territory, proving their foresight and wisdom. But that was not all. I suggested in a brief Communion meditation that the words of the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 5:14) may be the key to the essence of their labor:

"For the love of Christ compels us..."

Christ's love is forceful, compelling. It is discovered when one lives and moves under the Banner of the Cross. May that love free you from dragging lethargy, from indifference, from drowsiness of spirit as you journey in this speedy world.

For the love of Christ, what are you compelled to do?


Fond regards,
Richard

2009.11.02 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, Vinita, Oklahoma.

This morning my thoughts go back in time when I was in a Contemporary Literature Class at the University of Wisconsin. We were discussing the life and work of the great Russian author, Tolstoy.

Tolstoy was exalted by his peers and biographers, but for some reason or other I remember more distinctly than anything words of his wife. Though I can't quote her, this is the gist of what she said:

His many good works are prompted by his principles, not by the warmth of his heart. Never has he given me five minutes help carrying water, nor sitting for five minutes alongside the bedside of our sick son.

A lot of us are at our best in society and at our worst at home.

A pearl of value: An act of loving kindness is a humane response to human need, and it should begin at home, with a warm heart.


Richard

2009.10.26 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, still going strong in Vinita, Oklahoma.

Our past is anchored in 127 years of faithful worship, teaching and mission/outreach. Our present continues that great tradition.

To be sure tradition may enslave us and make us reactionaries. At Pilgrim Church, an alert community of faith finds that tradition has an opposite effect. Tradition here releases the congregation, and enriches it, as it invests time, energy, and yes, money in a spirit of living out the gospel in the present.

What do I mean? Simply this: you and I must spend our life, not hoard it. God has given us life, not to keep for ourselves but to use for others. This sense of giving marks Pilgrim Church as an example of true discipleship.

Our Pearl of Value today comes from Luke 9:24:

"Whoever would save life will lose it, and whoever loses life, for my sake, will save it."

Put a smile on your face and live to the hilt. It's only once around this earthly track.


Fond regards,
Richard

2009.10.19 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

A good friend, the Rev. W. LeRoy Beckes, is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Bradford, Pennsylvania. The monthly newsletter from that Church is always interesting and informative. Among his many gifts, Lee Beckes is a poet and a man of prayer. His "Labor Day Prayer" is excellent for all seasons, and I share it with you today.

Labor Day...a prayer

Lord Jesus, one day you shook the sawdust from your hair and left to take up other work. Did the blind man feel the callouses when you touched his eyelids? Did Simon Peter, slipping beneath the waves, feel the strength of your arms as you pulled him to safety? You knew splinters and sweat, you have felt the weight of heavy beam. Be with those whose labor and worth is measured in pieces and pounds; who must wrestle with fire and storm; who cross lonely miles while other sleep; who clean and carry what we leave behind; whose work goes unnoticed unless undone; who tend to those so often forgotten. May we find ourselves at your side, working for a world where wages are fair and all labor is respected. Then, when our work is done, may we hear you say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into your Master's joy."


Genuine friendships are to be cherished!


Best wishes and in friendship,
Richard

2009.10.12 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma, in beautiful green country! Yes, we've had a lot of rain! Lawns and pastures are lush-looking. Our Church lawn is as lovely as I've ever seen it, thanks to the rain and the excellent service of Todd Mariner, one of our new members.

At the beginning of summer I suggested that you read the story of Peter going to meet Cornelius (found in Acts, chapter 10). Cornelius was a Roman - a Gentile - and Jews were to avoid contact with Gentiles. Before going to the home of this Roman military leader, Peter was staying at the seashore home of a tanner. The law forbade Jews from touching the bodies of dead animals, and a strict Jew would hardly accept hospitality from such a home.

All this is noteworthy in that Peter had to unlearn rigid religious teaching. That isn't easy, but it is essential if we are to grow and develop our concept of the greatness of God!

And Peter said, "I have come to understand that God has no favorites."

How big is your God?


Fond regards,
Richard

2009.10.05 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

These Monday Morning messages which began in September 2007, now find their way across the country and around the globe! I am surprised by and glad for the welcome they have received.

My intention is to reach out beyond our sanctuary with a pastoral concern. Our Christian faith, drawn from the rich source of the Bible, is profoundly inward and at the same time it is outreaching, with a will to action.

Faith is the activity of the whole life of every follower of Jesus!

Christ put a strong emphasis upon "wholeness of life". "Do you want to be made whole?" was a fundamental question he asked, and it is the message of the gospel to everyone.

The health of the body and spirit are integral to wholeness in life, and that is a reason daily quiet time is needed. At the start of summer I encouraged you to read, at your own pace, two books by Luke - the Gospel and the Book of Acts. Later I suggested you add the Gospel of Mark to your devotional reading list.

Today, I suggest some of my favorite readings from Psalms.

Psalm 1, 2, 8, 16:5-6, 19, 23, 24, 25:4-5, 34, 42:1-5, 8-11 and 43, 46, 67.

Good reading provides good company! Our Pearl of Value for this week comes from the Apostle Paul: 1 Corinthians 15:33 - "Bad company corrupts good character."


Good reading! Fond regards,
Richard

2009.09.28 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

Our Pearl of Value this week comes from Shakespeare:

"There is no time for all things."

Precisely for that reason we need a sense of discrimination!

"Discrimination?!" That's a fighting word, a dirty word, in today's world. Of course, it can be a dangerous social disease, yet we need a sense of discrimination if we are going to invest our time and thoughts and activities wisely..

The capacity to discriminate, to distinguish, is a precious gift. We have to discriminate in our choices or we'll clutter our lives with prejudice, jealousy, greed and hatred.

Take great care in cultivating your fine art of discrimination.


All the best,
Richard

2009.09.21 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, still going strong at the corner of Thompson and Illinois, in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma. Our Sunday worship service begins at 10 a.m. You'll be welcome if you can attend. If you can't be with us, please say a little prayer for us. We do remember you, our MONDAY MORNING FAMILY in our thoughts and prayers.

If you want to add the name and email address of a friend or family member to our growing family, please send the information to Donna, our friendly, able editor of these messages. You have our Church office email address.

Our PEARL OF VALUE this week comes from one of our church members:

"Knowledge is not likely to enter the head when the mouth is open!"

God endowed us with two ears but only one mouth. Yet, for most of us the ears are in semi-retirement while the mouth is overworked. There is a great deal of talking, even shouting, but very little listening.

Listening is not easy. Listening with the whole person requires discipline, patience and caring.

When God appeared to King Solomon in a vision, and offered him any gift he wished, Solomon asked for a "listening heart." Listening is not done alone with ears, it is also done with the heart!


Fond regards,
Richard

2009.09.14 Monday Morning!

Greetings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

As you begin your work week, I ask that you remember that the Church is a fellowship in which we belong to each other by authentic Christ-like living...

What disturbs me more than the increasing loss of Church membership is the increase of people who say they are Christians but who admit they take little or no time to pray. Many are unable to speak confidently of the worth and power of prayer.

This is a serious condition to be in. "To forget God is more fatal than to deny God" (Maude Petre). Not to pray is to live as if God did not exist.

Our faith is as real or unreal, as strong or weak as our praying is.

Commitment to prayer is a part of our commitment to God.

"Take Ten" daily in your own "upper room" for conversation with God. You'll find that
god will infuse you with new energy!


With blessings and all good wishes,
Richard

2009.09.08 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning, on this Labor Day and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, still going strong in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma. I hope you have enjoyed your summer and that you made time for some "R & R". All work and no play makes John/Jane a dull person.

On this Labor Day my question is not "What is your work?", but "How do you do it?" Whatever our task, God needs it and God needs us. The point of life is not the work, but how the work is done.

The world needs, God needs, people who do ordinary things extraordinarily well. Everyone has certain gifts, and the duty of life is to use those gifts to make this world a better place.

Take pride in what you do!

Jesus said: "You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you master over many." (Matthew 25:21, 23)


Love, peace,
Richard

2009.08.31 Monday Morning - Recycled!

Top of the morning and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, now in its 126th year of ministry in Vinita, Oklahoma and the surrounding area.

126 years! That is a long time to have informed and inspired generation after generation. Many have written to tell me how influential Pilgrim Church has been in their lives. The latest such note came from a lady who wrote "the church has a special place in my heart and always will." She now lives half a continent away from Vinita.

I have asked myself what is the most striking thing about this congregation which is held with great affection by so many. I have concluded that is a strand of love which has been woven into its life and work, decade after decade, generation after generation.

The strand of love that is present in the Church's mission and outreach programs...

The strand of love that blesses the tie that binds us to Christ and to one another...

The strand of love that loudly affirms that we all need one another!


Peace...fond regards,
Richard

2009.08.24 Monday Morning - Recycled!

Greetings and best wishes to you from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

It may be a sign of old age, but I know that life's arithmetic means that for every new year we celebrate, we can subtract a year from our life.

That sounds pessimistic, but what I mean to say is don't wait too long to do what you want to do.

In too many simple things we wait too long to do them.

Don't wait too long to show kindness.

Don't wait too long to speak or write a word of encouragement.

Don't wait too long to express your love and thanks to elderly relatives.

Don't wait too long to love and enjoy your children and grandchildren.

Don't wait too long to read the books and listen to the music that enlarges your mind.

And, of course, don't wait too long to practice a daily quiet time when you strengthen your inner spirit.

Life goes by quickly.  Don't wait too long to do the things you want to do!


With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

2009.08.17 Monday Morning - Recycled!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

Last week I met a married couple, long-time friends, who were unhappy, singing the blues. I am used to the husband's negative view of life, but I was surprised to hear his usually happy wife complain about some petty thing that happened in their Church.

Our conversation prompts me to ask two questions: How do we get happiness? How do we get the most out of life?

Turning to Jesus' words, I got a strange answer. He said happiness is a life lived for God and others. Happiness is a by-product of a life lived for others! "Whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake...will find it."

Happiness is found, not in saving your life for yourself, not in hoarding your gifts and talents, but in giving yourself away. Happiness comes when you live for God and others.

Cheers...happy thoughts...best wishes...Richard


P.S. We will resume our Second Sunday Special on February 10 honoring our special Annabelle Mitchell. If you have a piece of Annabelle's pottery, please bring it and be sure and put your name on it. We will have cookies and coffee after Church.

2009.08.10 Monday Morning - Recycled!

Good Morning!

Following is Dr. Evans first Monday Morning message. Enjoy!

Grace and peace,

Donna J


--- On Mon, 9/24/07, Pilgrim Prsbytrn Church wrote:

Greetings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma. If you feel today's message is worth sharing, please send it to those in your email address book. If you send me an email, if you have a prayer request, be certain that I will answer. Richard


We always talk about dependence on God, forgetting that God also depends on us for so many things.

God cannot make a peaceful world unless we help him root out hatred, prejudice and injustice.

God cannot build a happy home unless husband and wife have a sharing spirit and mutual respect.

God heals the sick but not without doctors, nurses, hospitals and their staff, research, prayers and encouragement of family and friends.

God needs us. We certainly need God. We are joined in a great partnership.


With blessings and in friendship; KEEP IN TOUCH!!

Richard Evans

2009.08.03 Monday Morning - Recycled!

With Dr. Evans on vacation and Monday Mornings as well, I've received several requests for "vintage Dr. Evans". So here it is! This is one of my favorites. Do you have a favorite you'd like to see again? Let me know and I'll try to find it. I think I've saved all of them from September 2007 forward.


Grace and peace,
Donna J


--- On Mon, 5/4/09, Pilgrim Prsbytrn Church wrote:

For some of you who at one time lived in the Vinita area, and who are now scattered across the country and overseas, I send special greetings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church this MONDAY MORNING. Memories are important, and I want you to know we remember you.

An ancient Greek legend came to mind as I prepared to share in a funeral service for a dear young friend. The legend speaks of a woman who arrived at the River Styx, where Charon, a gentle ferryman, stood ready to take her to the realm of departed spirits.

Charon told her she could drink of the water and completely forget what she was leaving behind. She thought about that, and asked questions: Shall I forget how I've suffered? Shall I forget my failures and how I've been hurt? The ferryman said yes, and then reminded her that she would also forget her victories, her successes, her happy times. And she would forget how she had been loved.

The legend concludes by saying that she did not drink of the water.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God's benefits." Memories are the stuff of life.

And that's why we send you MONDAY MORNING! We want to keep in touch!


Richard

2009.06.29 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

This will be my last MONDAY MORNING message until September. I encourage you to read your Bible during the summer and I offer the following suggestions.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT: Read two volumes by Luke, a physician and the only Gentile writer in the Bible. The first volume is the Gospel of Luke, often called the most beautiful book in the world. Luke's second volume is The Acts of the Apostles, an important history of the early Church.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT: Read two short books, Jonah and Ruth. Both turn the thinking of their day on its head by declaring that God is for all people.

And from Psalms, I suggest reading the following: Psalm 1, 8, 9, 16 (verse 6), 19, 23, 24, 27, 34, 46, 51:1-17, 67, 84, 86, 90, 91, 95:1-7, 98, 100, 103, 116, 121, 130, 137:1-8,
139:1-12, 17-18, 23-24; 145, 148, 150.


Enjoy,
Richard

2009.06.22 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

It's strange to me how intelligent people can believe our every moment is predestined by God. Such fatalism ought be wiped from the mind. God has established laws within creation, and one is the law of cause and effect. An airplane crash, in which more than 200 people are killed, is not the purposeful will of God.

We need only reread the book of Job, who asked: "Shall we receive good at the hand of God and bless him for that good...and then turn around and blame God for the bad things that come upon us?"

Job, who at times prospered and was blessed with a loving wife and children, at other times suffered more than anyone ought to endure, was prepared to live with unanswered questions.

There was one thing Job could affirm and that is that nothing can separate all creation, and that includes you and me, from the love of God.

Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.


Richard

2009.06.15 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, a Church that has served Christ in and around Vinita, Oklahoma for more than 126 years.

One of our long-time members, Mrs. Julia Bond, has died. A gentle lady, intelligent and humane, I want to share with you two things which I found in her life that can be helpful to everyone.

First, though Mrs. Bond encountered sorrow and pain, I never heard her whine. She made it clear to me that she counted her blessings every day, and that those blessings trumped all else.

Second, she had a smile for others! That smile, with words of support and encouragement, especially to 4-H youth, indicates what in the long run of life does to us depends on what life finds in us.

My hope and prayer is that the Bond Family, and all of our families, will consider our goodly heritage (Psalm 16:5-6).

It is well to count our blessings and to offer a smile for others.


Peace,
Richard

2009.06.08 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma. Our Sunday worship service is at 10 a.m. If you can, share with us in worship...and you'll be sure to get to a restaurant before the Methodists and Baptists!

With some dear friends in Grove, Vinita, and Tulsa suffering from a lot of pain, I realize that in the long run what life does to us depends on what life finds in us. There are some people who prefer whining to counting their blessings.

I want to say loud and clear that if we love God, what happens to us doesn't determine the consequences. We can change any situation by changing our inner attitude toward it. The way we handle troubling situations depends on what is inside us.

Love God and you'll discover that the qualities of your mind and spirit will provide resources to live victoriously.

Love God...and live to the hilt!


Richard

2009.06.01 Monday Morning!

Greetings and all good wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, Vinita, Oklahoma.

I preached on "Lost and Found" and several people asked for a copy of the sermon. I take that as a compliment - good for my ego - which will last a long time., i.e. until a similar request comes.

"The winning sermon" was based on the 15th Chapter of Luke, which contains the essence of the good news which Jesus proclaimed. Try re-reading this chapter sometime this week.

In a trinity of incomparable parables, Jesus taught that the cause of "lostness" is WASTE. When you waste your life you lose it.

The lost coin was not damaged nor defaced, it no longer fulfilled its function. The lost sheep was not a bad sheep, but when it strayed it was no longer a part of the flock. The son, whom we call the Prodigal Son, was lost because he separated himself, by wrong choices, from his family.

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, to rescue us from wasting life, from not fulfilling God's intended purpose.

What is that purpose? The purpose is defined by the Old Testament prophet Micah and by Jesus, in two high-water marks of all religion. Micah said: seek justice - love kindness - walk humbly with God.

And Jesus said: Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself.

Life is complex. We all make mistakes, but we can rise above our failings, which need not be fixed or congealed, by committing ourselves to the requirements Micah and Jesus gave us. They will save us from wasting our life!


Peace,
Richard

2009.05.25 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes on this Memorial Day from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in beautiful Vinita, Oklahoma, the glistening heart of "green country" where we've had almost a month of steady rain.

Years ago, I saw the UN Charter signed in San Francisco. The UN has done many things well, but presently it is failing to keep world peace.

I know we pray for peace, but I fear that is a sentimental prayer, like love your neighbor. God doesn't do anything for us that we can't do for ourselves.

What can we do? War is a human problem that can be overcome only by human solutions. There always will be disagreements and conflict. However, when Oklahoma and Arkansas have conflict over clean water they don't go to war. They enter "conflict resolution" (a comparatively new field), and agree to abide by the judicatory.

It may be an impossible task, but a global effort to include "Peace Studies" in high school, college and university curricula may save us from the last nuclear war staring us in the face.


Peace,
Richard

2009.05.04 Monday Morning!

For some of you who at one time lived in the Vinita area, and who are now scattered across the country and overseas, I send special greetings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church this MONDAY MORNING. Memories are important, and I want you to know we remember you.

An ancient Greek legend came to mind as I prepared to share in a funeral service for a dear young friend. The legend speaks of a woman who arrived at the River Styx, where Charon, a gentle ferryman, stood ready to take her to the realm of departed spirits.

Charon told her she could drink of the water and completely forget what she was leaving behind. She thought about that, and asked questions: Shall I forget how I've suffered? Shall I forget my failures and how I've been hurt? The ferryman said yes, and then reminded her that she would also forget her victories, her successes, her happy times. And she would forget how she had been loved.

The legend concludes by saying that she did not drink of the water.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God's benefits." 

Memories are the stuff of life.

And that's why we send you MONDAY MORNING!  We want to keep in touch!


Richard

2009.04.27 Monday Morning!

MONDAY MORNING greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, still located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10 o'clock. Come and worship with us if you can. If you can't, say a little prayer for us! A number of Presbyterians, with second homes on Grand Lake, have found us and we are glad to welcome these friends to Pilgrim Church, "a friendly church of faith".

Hear this urgent message for all of us: we need to learn that speed, and more speed, are NOT solutions to everything!

There are things that cannot be hurried: the acquaintance that deepens into friendship, the mind that seeks knowledge and wisdom, the healing that follows bereavement, the time for memories stored up from a lifetime of experience.

Perhaps this prayer by O.L. Crain will help slow us down:

Remind me each day that the race is not always to the swift and that there is more to life than increasing its speed. Slow me down, God, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values, that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.

In friendship,
Richard

2009.04.20 Monday Morning!

Monday Morning greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, still located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

Have you ever heard of another Presbyterian Church named "Pilgrim Church"?  If you have, let me know.  It is a common name among Congregationalists.  I love the name.  After all, we are pilgrims on a journey.

Early in the 19th century, Presbyterians and Congregationalists agreed to avoid missionary and outreach competition.  Arrangements were made for Congregationalists to establish churches in New England and Presbyterians to move westward in upstate New York.

Those arrangements are still visible.  Today one sees few Presbyterians in the New England states and few Congregational churches in the Mohawk Valley of New York.

The first Congregational Church in Vinita was founded in 1879.  Three years later a Presbyterian Church was organized.

In 1947 the two Vinita churches united and the congregation was named "Pilgrim Presbyterian Church".  One of the last members of the Congregational Church, Jim Humble, died recently.  His daughter, Jewell Morgan is an elder in Pilgrim Church, which she serves faithfully.

The Congregational Church in America is now known as The United Church of Christ.

Thought you might be interest in a snippet of history.


All the best,
Richard

2009.04.13 Monday Morning!

Easter Monday greetings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

I hope you had an enjoyable Easter! I underline that word "enjoyable" because God intends us to enjoy this life and live it to the hilt.

Much is being written about life after death, and I do believe that life does not end at the grave. But survival is an empty victory unless it is based on what is enjoyable, virtuous and responsible here and now.

Get your priorities in order. Your life is of inestimable value. Rage against anything that shrivels your soul or withers your spirit.

How's this for a Pearl of Value from Ruther Rendell, a mystery writer: 

"Happiness makes so much difference to people. It doesn't just make them happy, it makes them more intelligent, more aware, more alert, while unhappiness deadens, dulls and stupefies."

Read Matthew 5:3-11 again, and substitute "happy" for the world "blessed".  Does that little change make more sense to you?


Cheers,
Richard

2009.04.06 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma!

This is Monday of Holy Week, the most significant week of our Christian calendar. It is a week of joy (Palm Sunday), sorrow (Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) and triumph (Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of our Lord).

Life is like that: joy, sorrow, mixed feelings and triumph...bittersweet!

Our granddaughter was born in Holy Week. Our family was overjoyed; she was the first grandchild. In the midst of our joy, another family was gathered nearby in the waiting room experiencing the grief of life slipping away for their year old child.

Jesus knows the ups and downs of human feelings and emotions. Life, bittersweet as it is, beckons us to move forward into an unknown future certain that our Resurrected Lord is God with us. That is central to our year 'round Easter faith.

A blessed, Happy Easter to you and your loved ones near and far.
Richard

2009.03.30 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning and all good wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church - still located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma! For more than 126 years this congregation has served Christ throughout this area with an "Easter faith" - an all year 'round faith.

Behind this service and good effort lies the power of prayer!

Many people stop praying because they don't have time in their busy lives. Others give up on prayer convinced it does not work. Like anyting else of value, prayer requires intentional practice.

As you practice prayer daily, remember that God will never do anything you can do for yourself. Prayer is not simply unloading our tasks on God. Prayer is the means by which God enables us to do them for ourselves.

Prayer may not change circumstances, but it does change us so we may confront circumstances with new strength and a new ability to cope with them.

Prayer is a powerful means to change our lives. Set aside a time each day to practice it!

Go for it!


Richard

2009.03.23 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, a small congregation with a big heart. Located in the center of Vinita, Oklahoma, our Sunday services begin at 10:00 a.m., enabling us to get to the town's restaurants before our Methodist and Baptist neighbors! Join us at worship, if you can; if you can't remember us in prayer at "Ten on Sunday".

Jesus was a thorn in the side of the fundamentalists of his time. The religion of his day had hardened into ritual and legal codes and he warned the self-righteous to "judge not".

His efforts to reform religion landed him on a cross, falsely accused of being a political revolutionary. He was not. But, he was a moral revolutionary.

God save us from those who condemn to hell those who disagree with their interpretation of Scripture.

A "Pearl of Value" for today:
"The only 'true church' is that which admits there is no way of knowing which denomination God belongs to." (Sidney Harris)


Fond regards,
Richard

2009.03.16 Monday Morning!

From Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in Vinita, Oklahoma, the center of green country, best wishes as you don your green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Isn't everyone Irish on March 17? I bet you didn't know that the Welsh have a special reason to join their Irish cousins in this once a year celebration: St. Patrick was born in Wales!

The Irish have great charm and to meet people with charm is a happy experience. Of course, superficial charm is dangerous. Talking and smiling while spreading a lot of blarney is superficial charm.

Genuine charm doesn't have the showy qualities of superficial charm. You can depend on those with genuine charm to stick with you in all kinds of weather, and that is one of the great virtues anyone can have.

You can tell that Patrick found genuine charm in Christ from his prayers:

"Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ before me, Christ beside me,

Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."

May the gift of genuine charm be yours always.


Richard

2009.03.09 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Vinita, Oklahoma, where "Pilgrims" meet to worship at the Presbyterian Church and from where they scatter into the community to serve God in big and little ways.

One big issue confronting the whole world today is "drug abuse".   Can the Church reach out to those engulfed in this epidemic?  Put your thinking cap on and let's hear your suggestions as to how Church and faith can help.

It is obvious that laws are not enough to curb this insidious evil.  Medical, psychological, social science AND religion are needed to combat this nightmare.

Instead of cursing the darkness which is ruining lives and destroying families, is there one small step we can take to overcome this critical problem?


Hopefully,
Richard

2009.02.23 Monday Morning! #2

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma!

Ash Wednesday, February 25, begins our Lenten journey. Lent offers us an opportunity for self-examination, which I know is important in my life. Why are there times when I think I have to be right and everyone else is wrong? Pride? Maybe! When those times assail me I try to think of the "cockroach theory".

Have you heard about that theory?

There was a scientist who was convinced he could teach a cockroach to respond to oral commands.

He set out to prove this theory and worked for months. He repeatedly said JUMP while his finger was extended before the roach. Finally the roach did jump. He was elated; his notion was correct.

Then he decided to carry the experiment further. He cut off the front legs of the roach and said JUMP. The roach, in time, did manage to get over his finger.

Next the scientist took off the rear set of legs. When he said JUMP the roach just laid there motionless.

Dismayed the scientist took out his notebook and made this entry: "When a cockroach's legs are removed, deafness occurs."

God save me from having to prove myself right all the time!


Amen and amen,
Richard

2009.02.23 Monday Morning!

From this small congregation with a big heart, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma, Pilgrim Presbyterian Church sends greetings and best wishes to each of you.

This congregation, which has been around for 126 years, is a good model for all small congregations. Its outreach, in cooperation with another small church in Vinita, St. John's Episcopal, and its ministry to Burroughs Manor, a retirement home for people who can't afford the costs of most high-flying retirement havens, is as close to the heart of the gospel that any "church family" can get.

Congregations that don't squabble can do ordinary things in extraordinary ways. That is why these "Pilgrims" in Vinita are so effective in their ministry inside and outside the walls of their beautiful sanctuary.

Well done you good and faithful disciples of our Master.


With a thankful heart,
Richard

2009.02.16 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes to you, wherever you are, from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

It was almost ten years ago that a stray dog appeared on the doorstep of our son, Owen, and his wife, Lori.  They had a small dog who wasn't very gracious about an intruder in her backyard.  So my wife, Helen and our daughter convinced me that we should welcome this black part Chow, part Retriever into our household.  We named him Bendigo, a derivative of a Welsh word for blessing. Pets are wonderful!

Sadly, there are people who seem to get their kicks being cruel to "dumb animals".  Recent news stories in a Tulsa newspaper tell of a soldier, home on leave who is charged for dragging a dog, tied behind his vehicle, until he was half dead.

I hope no one reading these Monday Morning messages will ever do a cruel thing to an animal.  Cruelty is always ugly and cruelty to helpless animals is an exceptionally cruel thing.  Kindness is a universal language, understood even by our pets!


Cheers,
Richard

2009.02.09 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes to you from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

It may be a sign of old age, but I know that life's arithmetic means that for every new year we celebrate, we can subtract a year from our life.

That sounds pessimistic, but what I mean to say is don't wait too long to do what you want to do.

In too many simple things we wait too long to do them.

Don't wait too long to show kindness.

Don't wait too long to speak or write a word of encouragement.

Don't wait too long to express your love and thanks to elderly relatives.

Don't wait too long to love and enjoy your children and grandchildren.

Don't wait too long to read the books and listen to the music that enlarges your mind.

And, of course, don't wait too long to practice a daily quiet time when you strengthen your inner spirit.

Life goes by quickly.  Don't wait too long to do the things you want to do!

With blessings and in friendship,
Richard

2009.02.02 Monday Morning!

Smile! It's Monday Morning reaching out to you from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

Laughter is good medicine! Last year I attended a meeting of ministers and elders in Tulsa where one person soon had everyone relaxed and laughing, except one glum person who sat like a sphinx. One gave us all a sense of joy, the other chilled us, never cracking a smile. One was able to laugh at himself, the other almost lost his temper.

There is, of course, the wrong kind of laughter which is prompted by smutty jokes or cruel jibes at someone else. However, great laughter-makers bring a lot of fun and happiness into our lives - and that is an important ministry today.

Hearty laughter for the right reasons is good medicine! And preventative medicine is cheaper in every way than curative medicine.


Cheers...ho, ho, ho
Richard

2009.01.26 Monday Morning!

Top of this Monday Morning, and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

It is sad, but true, that those inclined toward religious pursuits are too often inclined toward extremism. When you think of modern faith-based violence, names like Osama bin Laden, David Koresh and Jim Jones are front and center.

While certain fundamentalists and evangelicals within our Presbyterian Church (USA) may not be violent, their thinking that their interpretation of the Bible is the only way of belief is self-righteous!

There are many ways to God, and those who accuse others of heresy would do better by being less intolerant, less stubborn in their prejudices.

No person has a monopoly of belief or experience. Beware of religious tyranny!


Peace,
Richard

2009.01.19 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, a church with a big heart, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

If you know of anyone who may like to begin his/her week with "Monday Morning", send an email address to Donna in the Church office. And, be assured that your email replies to Monday Morning are much appreciated!

Today, our Pearls of Value come from the pen of Prof. William Barclay, author of the popular Daily Bible Study.

1. "We must never be self-centered in our happiness. Even when we are happy, there are others whose hearts ache. In our happiness, we must never be so self-centered that we forget others pain."

2. "We must never be selfish in our prosperity. It is always wrong for prosperity and selfishness to go hand in hand."

3. "We must never be self-righteous in goodness. How harmful is the so-called Christian who harps on and on about his goodness."

Pretty good directives, aren't they?

Peace,
Richard

2009.01.12 Monday Morning!

To all in our "Monday Morning" family, belated good wishes for inner peace and joy throughout 2009!

I have two reasons for sending these weekly messages:

First, to keep in touch with you who once called Pilgrim Church your "home church".

Second, to reach out with the good news of the Gospel.

Jesus did not write rules or creeds, but he did give us a criteria for discipleship. (John 13:35) Three things are needed for a full, happy life of discipleship.

Something to hope for - a stimulus to further living!

Something to do - work is not a curse but a blessing! (ask anyone forced into unemployment or inactivity)

Someone to love - when love is born, life is renewed!

That's a PEARL OF VALUE to begin your new year!


Cheers,
Richard