Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma. Dare I get personal with you today? Ordinarily I have an abundance of pep, lately I've been feeling very tired (lazy?). A week ago I opened William Barclay's book of devotions and on the page that stared at me were these words: "tiredness is often as much staleness as anything else." Barclay went on to write that tiredness comes when ones personal resources have been over strained. He illustrated his point with this example: "When a car battery is exhausted...it must be brought into contact with a new source of electrical power from which it may be recharged." Repeatedly, Jesus had to go into a lonely place to pray - to listen to God - so that his strength might be renewed. What was necessary for Jesus is far more necessary for me. How about you? O Lord, keep me from going stale! With Blessings and Cheers, Richard |
Monday, October 25, 2010
2010.10.25 Monday Morning!
Monday, October 18, 2010
2010.10.18 Monday Morning!
Top of the morning and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.
After 128 years of mission and outreach, "Pilgrims from Vinita" continue to share Christ's good news with people 'round the corner and 'round the world.
Do you read your Bible every day? If you do, and I hope you do, you'll know that it is not always a peaceful book filled with serenity, green pastures and love. It also reflects human pain, injustice, conflict and disappointment.
One reason for such human misery is envy. No one is completely free from envy. A good antidote to envy is to ask how happy is the person who possesses the object of your envy.
Draw up a list of your blessings, blessings which you often overlook, and then imagine one of them being threatened. I suspect you'll then realize how rich you truly are!
Focus on what is yours, and then live...live to the hilt.
With blessings and all good wishes,
Richard
After 128 years of mission and outreach, "Pilgrims from Vinita" continue to share Christ's good news with people 'round the corner and 'round the world.
Do you read your Bible every day? If you do, and I hope you do, you'll know that it is not always a peaceful book filled with serenity, green pastures and love. It also reflects human pain, injustice, conflict and disappointment.
One reason for such human misery is envy. No one is completely free from envy. A good antidote to envy is to ask how happy is the person who possesses the object of your envy.
Draw up a list of your blessings, blessings which you often overlook, and then imagine one of them being threatened. I suspect you'll then realize how rich you truly are!
Focus on what is yours, and then live...live to the hilt.
With blessings and all good wishes,
Richard
Monday, October 11, 2010
2010.10.11 Monday Morning!
Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.
I think today's Monday Morning Message will interest and amaze you! Were it not for an article on PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK - my favorite source of "religious news" - I would not know about this remarkable celebration.
Yesterday, 10/10/10, the city of Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world, celebrated its 10,000th birthday! Yes, you read that right: The city of Jericho is at least 10,000 years old. Happy Birthday Jericho!
Jericho does have the distinction of being 850 feet below sea level, the lowest altitude of any city in the world. Now it adds to that distinction a new milestone - a lifetime of 10,000 years.
I looked up several best known Bible stories which are connected with Jericho. You may want to read Joshua, chapter 2, Joshua 6:1-25, and Luke 19:1-10.
Fond regards...and thanks PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK!
Richard
I think today's Monday Morning Message will interest and amaze you! Were it not for an article on PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK - my favorite source of "religious news" - I would not know about this remarkable celebration.
Yesterday, 10/10/10, the city of Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world, celebrated its 10,000th birthday! Yes, you read that right: The city of Jericho is at least 10,000 years old. Happy Birthday Jericho!
Jericho does have the distinction of being 850 feet below sea level, the lowest altitude of any city in the world. Now it adds to that distinction a new milestone - a lifetime of 10,000 years.
I looked up several best known Bible stories which are connected with Jericho. You may want to read Joshua, chapter 2, Joshua 6:1-25, and Luke 19:1-10.
Fond regards...and thanks PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK!
Richard
PS: Link to Presbyterian Outlook: http://www.pres-outlook.com/
Just click on this link to go to the Web Site of the Presbyterian Outlook!
-Brian
Monday, October 4, 2010
2010.10.04 Monday Morning!
Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.
Some of you reading this Monday Morning Message know little or nothing about our Church. Did a mutual friend invite you to visit our blog? A big thanks to whoever that might be! I hope you'll return next week and that you'll invite someone else to be a part of our off-site/on-line outreach.
Our 128 year-old Church is a welcoming, healthy congregation. We know that no one lives by bread alone. From as long as we can go in history, human beings have exhibited a need for religion. Cave drawings indicate that ancients worshiped one kind of deity or another.
For Christians, the development of religion reached its climax in Jesus of Nazareth. Revolting against hardened ritual and pious self-righteousness, Jesus showed us how to live in relation to God and toward one another. (Try reading John, chapter 15). Love is complex. For me, at least, its opposite is not hate but indifference. It's a lifetime task to ward off indifference!
Courage for today in your determination to overcome indifference!
Richard
Some of you reading this Monday Morning Message know little or nothing about our Church. Did a mutual friend invite you to visit our blog? A big thanks to whoever that might be! I hope you'll return next week and that you'll invite someone else to be a part of our off-site/on-line outreach.
Our 128 year-old Church is a welcoming, healthy congregation. We know that no one lives by bread alone. From as long as we can go in history, human beings have exhibited a need for religion. Cave drawings indicate that ancients worshiped one kind of deity or another.
For Christians, the development of religion reached its climax in Jesus of Nazareth. Revolting against hardened ritual and pious self-righteousness, Jesus showed us how to live in relation to God and toward one another. (Try reading John, chapter 15). Love is complex. For me, at least, its opposite is not hate but indifference. It's a lifetime task to ward off indifference!
Courage for today in your determination to overcome indifference!
Richard
Friday, October 1, 2010
PILGRIM’S PROGRESS, A Pastoral Letter
The following, while not a Monday Morning Message, was so good, I felt it had to be shared. I hope that this does not cause you a problem, Richard, but your message here is a wonderful one, and one that should be shared with all our readers ...
Love and Peace,
Brian
PILGRIM’S PROGRESS
Voice of the Pilgrim Presbyterian Church
Vinita, Oklahoma
October, 2010
A Pastoral Letter
Dear friends,
There are times when we get so consumed by work – yes, even church work – that we become obsessed by it. When that happens we are apt to get overly tired and cranky.
There is a legend about John the Apostle that one day someone found him playing with a tame partridge and criticized him for not doing his work. His answer was,
“The bow that is always at full stretch will soon cease to shoot straight.”
All of us need some form of relaxation, and the more our work demands of us the more relaxation is needed. This is as true for a Mother raising small children as it is for a surgeon, a lawyer, a teacher, a street sweeper or a trash collector. Everyone does a better job when leisure time and recreation become integral parts of daily living.
It’s only once ‘round this track, ENJOY!
With best wishes and in friendship,
Richard
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