Final Monday Morning for 2011...

Pilgrim Presbyterians in Vinita, Oklahoma send greetings and best wishes as you make your  journey to the New Year 2012.

I am cleaning out my overstuffed files and found this piece, One Solitary Life, by an unknown author.  It is appropriate for after Christmas, and at the threshold of a New Year.  I hope you like it.  Of course, it comes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, Vinita, Oklahoma.

 

ONE SOLITARY LIFE

 

Here is a man who was born of Jewish parents in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.  He grew up in another obscure village.  He worked in a carpenter's shop until he was thirty, and then for three  years he was an itinerant preacher.

 

He never wrote a book, he never held an office, he never owned a home.  He never had a family.  He never went to college.  He never put his foot inside a big city.  He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born.  He never did one of these things that usually accompany greatness.  He had no credentials but himself.

 

He had nothing to do with this world, except the naked power of his manhood.  While still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against him.  His friends ran away.  One of them denied him.  He was turned over to his enemies.  He went through a mock trial.

 

He was nailed to a cross, between two thieves.  His executioner gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, while he was dying - and that was his coat.  When he was dead he was taken down and laid in  a borrowed grave, through the pity of a friend.

 

Nineteen wide ceturies have come and gone, and today he is the centerpiece of the human race, and the leader of the column of progress.  I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon earth as powerfully as has that solitary life.

 

Thanks be to God for self-revelation in Jesus Christ.

 

With blessing and all good wishes for the New Year.

 

Richard

********************************

 

This is the last Monday Morning message I have received from Richard as he is still ill.

 

There will be no Morning Worship Service at Pilgrim Presbyterian this Sunday, January 1.

Services will resume the next Sunday, January 8 at 10:00 a.m.

I would ask that everyone keep Richard in their thoughts and prayers this Holiday Season.  

Peace and Love to him and us all!

Brian

Christmas Dinner in the new Fellowship Hall

Christmas Dinner on December 11th.


It looks like everyone had a great time at the Christmas Dinner.  Unfortunately Richard was still not feeling well enough to attend.


Best Of health to you Richard!  We would like to see you again from time to time at Pilgrim Presbyterian!


Enjoy the Pictures!

More Christmas Photos!

The Cowley family lit the Advent candle Dec. 4

Jori, Jeanne, Shandy, Autry and Alan Cowley

The Children's Bell Choir played the handbells for the Congregation on December 11th!

Everyone please thank Jewell Morgan for taking the time and effort to provide us with pictures of Church life!

I would also like to ask that anyone who can send pictures of the goings on at Pilgrim Presbyterian to send them to me.  Jewell has my address and will be quite happy to give it to you.  

Peace and Love! 

Advent Photos

This past Sunday, the Cresap Family lit the Advent Candles and all were treated to the wonderful music of a duet of Harps and solo Flute by Tammy Reynolds, Teresa Wheeler and April Wheeler.  

Please enjoy the following pictures of this wonderful day graciously provided by Jewell Morgan.

Thanks Jewell!

I have also been informed that Richard is still sick due to Bronchitis.  Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers and hope that he may enjoy a Merry Christmas this coming weekend!

Peace and a Merry Christmas to Everyone this week!

The Cresap Family Lighting the Advent Candle 

The Cresap Family

Harps: Tammy Reynolds and Teresa Wheeler

Flute: April Wheeler

1st Presbyterian Church Chelsea Christmas Announcement

This is our annual invitation to join us for our Christmas Eve Candle light service at 1^st Presbyterian Church Chelsea.  Worship begins at 7:00 pm.  We look forward every year to seeing our friends and their families from Pilgrim Presbyterian. 

All are welcome.

Merry Christmas!!

Alaine Dye

1^st Presbyterian Church Chelsea

2011.12.19 Monday Morning

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

Are you enjoying your Christmas mail?  Most of the news we get from friends is cheerful, some sad, and of course, some down right depressing.

I got one of those depressing letters last week.  One comes every year from David, a Seminary classmate.  David reminds me of John the Baptist, a good person, but great on denouncing sin and not strong on forgiveness.

John the Baptist was big on repentance, but not so big about what happened after repentance.  Long on condemnation, short on healing.  John could tell what was wrong with the world, but not what was right.  My friend David is like that.

It's true, we're not living in utopia, but we can be thankful, and supportive, of helpful, healing forces at work.  There are plenty of reasons to despair - deaths in war and in protest movements.  We still weep, we still cry.  But, we can still laugh and we can still have hope, kindness and love.

Our spirit reflects an understanding of the purposes of our life, of a deeper inner truth and connection that lies inside us.  Christmas is a good time to re-connect with our soul.  Christmas reassures us that God is with us...always.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, near and far.

Richard

P. S.

At this time Richard is suffering from bronchitis.  Please keep him in your prayers.

2011.12.12 Monday Morning

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma, at America's crossroads, on historic Route 66.

 

My Christmas message is simple and direct:  your life in Christ, and Christ's life in you, will change your very being for the better!

 

It is this affirmation that Dickens, in A Christmas Carol, wrote a classic story that is a favorite around the world.  It is beloved because it is a story of hope.

 

You may remember that Ebenezer Scrooge is pictured as a wealthy man who employs his nephew, Fred, at pitiful poor wages, supported a joyful, closely bonded family, including a handicapped son.

 

By every reasonable standard Scrooge should have been on top of the world.  He wasn't!  And, the clerk's family should have been miserable.  They were not!

 

Dickens implied that faith makes the difference.  Faith has its own ability to change a person for the better.  In this dramatic story, Scrooge was confronted with two facts:

1. The fact of Christmas - the fact that God has come to dwell with us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth;
   
2. and the fact of his own selfishness. 

Scrooge had to choose which of those two facts he was going to embrace.  After intense struggle, Ebenezer scrooge consciously chose to embrace the fact of Christmas - God with us.  The result of that choice was a remarkable, dramatic change in his life.

 

Jesus - God with us - does change lives.  What are some of the enduring changes we cherish as Christians?

The power of compassion, the healing of forgiveness, the transforming power of love, the energizing power of prayer and the sustaining power of faith.

 

With fond regards and all good wishes for a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

Richard

2011 December PILGRIM’S PROGRESS

PILGRIM’S PROGRESS

Voice of the Pilgrim Presbyterian Church

Vinita, Oklahoma

December, 2011

"A Letter from the Sidelines"

Dear friends,

It's December already and I hope you are making a meaningful personal journey through Advent to the Cradle of the Christ child.

There are many Bible passages to read during Advent, but I hope you won't miss these:

Isaiah 9:2-7; 40:1-11; 53:1-6

Luke, chapter 1, especially note verses 46-55, the Magnificat 

And, of course, on Christmas, Luke 2:7-14

Christmas is a strange season!  We cut an evergreen tree and bring it into our living room.  We hang stockings in a conspicuous spot in our home.  Strange behavior!  But, wasn't the first Christmas strange, too?

God nudged unsophisticated shepherds to look up to see a star, and then he nudged them to look down to see a child in a stable.

Who is this God who nudges us still?  God is the high and mighty one who inhabits eternity.  Lift up your head and behold the star!

Who is this God who nudges us still?  God is the one who is self-revealed in a stable.  Lift up your spirit this Advent season and look within to the one who dwells with you.  (John 1:1-14)

God nudges us to move from star to stable, from stable to star.  The mysterious other is God with us.  That is what makes this season of Christmas a strange, hallowed, gracious time.

In an age notorious for dashing hopes, lift up your head that the child who was born in a stable may yet be re-born in you.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

In friendship,

Richard

Church email:pilgrimpresby@sbcglobal.net

THE PRAYER LIST

Please remember the following individuals in your daily prayers: Richard Evans, Vera Tresler, Mary Draper, John and Louise Gullett , John Burckhalter – illness - Friend of the Church, Patricia Hemphill, Pat Robinson, Joan Dirmyer, Dee Ann George, Adele Davis, Larry Skaggs, family of Eleanor Lewis. Brett Forbes family – Serving in the military

Men and women serving in the military forces, and their families

We light the Peace Candle each Sunday and pray for all men and women currently serving in the military and their families, as well as for all who are suffering from war, persecution and terrorism.

*********************

Bill Dirmyer, brother of Pam Noggle passed away in New York.  Please keep the family in your prayers.

Church Birthdays

are celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of the Month – December 11 – same Sunday as holiday meal.

December 19 – Mary Draper

                  27 – Terry Brown

~~Notes from Session~~

The Session met November 20, 2011 and opened with prayer by Moderator Judy Henderson.   There was a quorum present including the following elders: Kitty Brown, Sarah Bruce, Keith Cresap, Joyce Dishman, Wally Olson, and Sue Ratcliff.   Excused were Irene Conine, Jim Shelton, and Fred York.  The October 9th and October 16th minutes were  approved by common consent.

Under the Treasurer’s Report for October 2011, the Beginning Balance was $5,135.19, Receipts were $2,684.55,  Expenditures were $4,634.21, and the Closing Balance was $3,185.53  The annual Stewardship letter will be mailed to members in November.  Session approved continuing the $1800.00 budgeted to send  annually to Presbytery.  The motion was made by Kitty Brown, there was a 2nd, and the motion carried.

After some discussion on the proposed 2012 Budget, Wally Olson moved to authorize the Treasurer to make the necessary changes to the Budget advised by Session, there was a 2nd, and the motion carried.  

The Clerk’s report included approval of the Annual Review of Session Minutes on October 31, 2011.  The Clerk also noted Session’s acceptance of Richard Evans’ resignation and that notification was sent to Presbytery.  There was no annual Necrology Report.   

Under the Trustees’ Report Keith Cresap reported that he has not received the abstract for the church manse so that final papers can be signed.   Keith also reported on an Allensworth property which was given to the church and will work with the Trustees to come up with a sale price. 

Irene reported for the Worship Committee that ministers and music are in place for the Holiday Season.  Joyce Dishman’s report on our annual Mission giving will be included in the January Session and Congregational meetings.

Sarah Bruce reported for the Sanctuary Guild that Christmas decorations are being planned along with poinsettias which members will be asked to contribute.

Under Old Business in order to update the Active and Inactive Rolls the Clerk is planning to meet with one or two Elders at a time during the month of January either on Sunday after church services or on Monday mornings to work on the rolls and plan a new Church Directory. 

Under New Business Session set the Congregational Meeting date for January 15, 2012.  Items to be included will be the Financial Report, Mission Giving Report, and the election of the 2012 Church Nominating Committee.  Session also set the date of January 15, 2012,  to hold the Ordination and Installation of Elders and Deacons.  Judy Hendersonhas offered to instruct and examine the Elders and Deacons if Presbytery has not appointed a Moderator for our church.

Under Other Business the following Elders will serve as Lay Assistants during December:  Sarah Bruce - December 4th, Kitty Brown - December 11th, Keith Cresap  - December 18th, and Jim Shelton - December 25th.  Communion will be prepared on Sunday, December 4th by Sue Ratcliff.  The worship Assistant for January is Kitty Brown, and Communion will  be prepared on Sunday, January 8th by Joyce Dishman.  

The next Session Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 15, 2012, subject to change if a new Moderator is appointed.  

The meeting was closed at 12:15 p.m. with prayer by Moderator Judy Henderson.

Reverend Judy Henderson, Moderator

Sue Ratcliff, Clerk of Session

The next Session meeting will be held on Sunday, January 15, 2012.

Thank you to:

• Irene for making arrangements for special music during the Advent and Christmas season and Sue and Irene  for making sure we have a minister each Sunday.
  
• Toni for cookies and birthday cake this month.
  
• Annette our custodian for the nice clean windows in the kitchen.
  
• Irene, Sarah and Toni  for the beautiful Christmas decorations throughout the church.
  
• Sarah for the extra serving spoons she donated for the kitchen.
  

~~Notes from Deacons~~

Deacons met November 20, 2011 with the following present:  Jim Dishman, Shirley Spaulding, Toni Moore, Jeanne Cowley, Dianne Rapp, Jan Clark, Jewell Morgan, Liz Logan.  Plans were made for the Holiday Meal on December 11th.  Burroughs Manor is invited and several parishioners from the Grove church plan to attend since Dr. Richard Evans will be here.  The schedule is A-G salad; H-O vegetable; P-Z dessert.

The meat, bread and drinks will be provided by the church. Set up is Saturday, December 10 at 10:00 a.m. We are planning for 50-60 people.

December cookies and birthday cake assignment is Toni.  Birthday Sunday is same day as Holiday Meal.

There will be no Bingo at Burroughs Manor in December.  Next Bingo will be January 21st.

Jewell Morgan reporting

Next Deacons meeting will be January 15th

Bingo prizes needed for January: Small lotions, small aftershaves, easy puzzle books, tuna and chicken salad packages, small packs of cookies, crackers, paper products, toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels, small candy bars, small kitchen towels, any candy.  

Congratulations to Mary Kate Shelton and James Craven who were married in our church on November 12.  Mary Kate is the youngest daughter of Jim and Sarah Shelton, granddaughter of Melba Shelton and Mike and Jane Snedden and James is the son of Jim and Vicki Craven and nephew of Debbi Myers.  The beautiful reception was held at the Shelton ranch in the barn and tents that were set up near the home.

The Bruce family is thankful for the use of the kitchen and fellowship hall for their Thanksgiving dinner .The Bruce's are currently remodeling their kitchen.  Sister Robin and her family were able to enjoy our new facility that their uncle James Kerr donated to our church.

□□   CHURCH OFFICERS   □□

Session Members        Deacons

 (Class of ’12) (Class of ’12)

Joyce Dishman Jim Dishman

Wally Olson Dianne Rapp

Jim Shelton

(Class of '13) (Class of '13)

Keith Cresap Jeanne Cowley

Sue Ratcliff Jan Haney

Fred York Toni Moore

(Class of ’14) (Class of ’14)

Sarah Bruce Liz Logan

Irene Conine Shirley Spaulding

Kitty Brown

    

HOLIDAY MEAL 

– December 11 immediately following morning worship.

The turkey, ham, bread, drinks will be provided.  Please bring a covered dish.  

If your last name begins with:

A-G   salad

H-O   vegetable

P-Z    dessert

Richard plans to be here.  

Burroughs Manor residents are invited and a few from the Grove church where Richard was interim for 6 years plan to attend.  Please bring your family and celebrate the holidays with us.

              2011-12                                  2011-12

WORSHIP ASSISTANTS         COMM.  PREPARERS      

December – Elders Share  Dec – Sue Ratcliff

January – Kitty Brown     Jan – Joyce Dishman

St. John's Episcopal Women are hosting a Wine and Cheese/Silent Auction Saturday, December 10 from 4:00 – 6:00 to benefit the Backpack Program and other charities.

The cost is $8.00.

2011.12.05 Monday Morning

Pilgrim Presbyterians in Vinita, Oklahoma send greetings and best wishes as you make your Advent journey to the Cradle of the Christ child.

 

Announcing the birth of Jesus, an angel said "I bring you good tidings of great joy"  (Luke 2:10).  Today, the good tidings are communicated by you, and people like you, who are aglow in faith, strong in hope, love and kindness.

 

Often the good tidings are communicated by people who see themselves as co-workers with God in our secular world.  Do you remember Pogo, or Peanuts, or Mr. Rogers?  They were full of good tidings.

 

I remember once when Charlie Brown and Lucy were leaning against a tree, and Lucy asked, "What do you think security is, Chuck?"

 

He replied, "Security is sleeping in the back seat of the car when you're a little kid and you've been somewhere with your Mom and Dad, and it's night.  You're riding and you can sleep without worrying about anything.  Your Mom and Dad are in the front seat, and they've done all the worrying.  They take care of everything."

 

Lucy smiled and said, "That's really neat!"  But a serious look came over Charlie's face and he said:  "But it doesn't always last.  Suddenly you've grown up, and it can never be that way again.  Suddenly it's over and you'll never go to sleep in the back seat.  Never!"

 

Lucy got a scared look and said, "Never?"  And Charlie who got scared himself with a terrible truth said "Never!"

 

In the last picture Lucy, aware of the real world, reaches over to Charlie and said, "Hold my hand, Chuck.  Hold my hand."

 

The good tidings - the gospel of Jesus Christ - tells us that we can hold one another's hand in the midst of discomfort - with love and support, for Christ has come to dwell in us and we are his co-workers in life's adventure.

 

With blessings and in friendship,

 

Richard

Happy Birthday Richard!

　
Dearest Richard,

Everyone at the Pilgrim Presbyterian Church and many more who have been a part of your life both privately and through your blessed ministry...

Would like to wish you a most WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY!

Your Birthday Cake from Japan!  :-)

Best wishes on this most Auspicious Day and we all wish you many more Happy Birthdays to celebrate together!

Lovingly Yours,


(From ALL OF US)

011.11.28 Monday Morning

Greetings in the first week of Advent from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, Vinita, Oklahoma.

 

Charles Dickens, in his classic tale, A Christmas Carol, expresses the belief that human nature can be changed, that new beginnings are possible.

 

In the story, Ebenezer Scrooge is the subject of transformation.  A penny-pinching, unpleasant Scrooge is given a new beginning and becomes a good friend, a generous boss, and a genuinely good person.  He is still Ebenezer Scrooge, but with an altered self he becomes engaged positively in his relationships with others.

 

We need to distinguish between a beginning and a new beginning.  A new beginning suggests a fresh start, a second chance, turning elsewhere when the the old way is no longer possible or valuable.

 

New beginnings are fascinating because they up fresh possibilities for the present at well as for the future.  The first day of school, graduation  day, a first job, marriage, the birth of a child are all very exciting.

 

At the center of the Christian faith is the belief that new beginnings are possible, if we meet opportunities knowing that God's will is our well being and the well being of all creation.

 

During this season of Advent turn to Christ and find a new beginning.

 

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

2011.11.21 Monday Morning

Greetings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

 

In the U. S. Thursday, November 24, is a day of National Thanksgiving.  FOR WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL?

 

In my long ministry, I can reduce reasons people have for thankfulness under three general headings.

        1st - Thanksgiving by comparison.

        2nd - Thanksgiving for specific reasons.

        3rd - Thanksgiving as an attitude.

 

At some time or other we exhibit all three.

 

My attention was drawn to the first, thanksgiving by comparison, while visiting a parishioner in the hospital.  She said, "I certainly am sick, but I'm thankful that I'm not as bad off as the man down the hall who moaned all night."  It's hardly ethical to be thankful by comparison- though often we slip into that mode without thought.

 

Second, it is good and reasonable to give thanks for specific reasons.  We should give thanks for our blessings, one by one.  But, be careful.  If we are thankful for only specific reasons we may one day lose one or more of those blessings and become angry and bitter.

 

The third type of thanksgiving is one of attitude for all life.  Can we learn to pray "I am thankful for who I am"?  That is the absolute character of thanksgiving.  An attitude of appreciation for our unique life and for all creation.

 

Shakespeare captured the truth of a genuine attitude of thanksgiving in Henry VI:

 

                    "O Lord that lends me life,

                     Lend me a heart full with thanksgiving."

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Richard

       

P. S.  You may want to read Psalm 100 at your Thanksgiving Day table.

2011.11.14 Monday Morning

Greetings and all good wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, OK.  Your keeping in touch with us "offsite-online" is appreciated.

 

A story is told of a faithful church member who rocked back and forth as the pastor denounced dancing, drinking and gambling, crying "Amen".  But when the pastor denounced gossip she sat bolt upright and muttered loudly, "Wouldn't you know it!  He's begun meddling."

 

The Old Testament prophet, Amos, was chief among meddlers.  He lived in the 8th century before Christ in the southern kingdom of Judah.  A blunt, plain spoken man, Amos went to the northern kingdom of Israel, where he denounced its policies and practices.

He condemned Israel for oppressing the poor and powerless.  As a result, he was branded a meddler.

 

Amos' attitude is echoed in the words of William Faulkner, when he wrote:  "I love my country to want to cure its faults and the only way I can cure its faults within my vocation is to shame it, to criticize it...to show the difference between its evil, its good, its moments of honesty, integrity and pride.  Just to write about the good qualities won't change the bad ones."

 

The value of criticism, even of harsh words, must be grounded in loving concern and passion for a better world for all people.

 

With blessings and all good wishes,

 

Richard

 

2011.11.07 Monday Morning

Top of the morning and all good wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.  

Pilgrim Church is one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in the area, celebrating its 129th birthday on the Sunday nearest All Saints Day, which this year falls on Tuesday, November 1.  Thankful for its past, Pilgrim Church continues a faithful mission and outreach ministry.  Congratulations 'Pilgrims'.

Having received a wonderful heritage, my prayer for Pilgrim Church in the present and future is "to think outside the box", and set before you A VISION  of what God wants you to be.

The importance of having a vision comes from my dear Mother.  In her declining years, she went blind.  At first she was frustrated, angry, and reluctant to admit her limitations.  Strong and capable all of her life, her blindness forced her to seek help from family and friends.

She was a remarkable lady.  She did not engage in self-pity, but soon took charge of her life and began to turn her handicap into a blessing.  She had been an executive secretary at the J. I. Case Co., in Racine, Wisconsin.  Still able to type, she wrote countless letters of support and encouragement to people, encouraging them to develop new ways to be useful.  All of us have handicaps; some are just more visible than other.

Stevie Wonder once said, "Just because a person lacks the use of eyes doesn't mean a lack of vision."

"Be Thou my vision,

  O Lord of my heart...

        Though my best thought

By day or by night,

 Walking or sleeping,

     Thy presence my light"

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

PILGRIM’S PROGRESS

PILGRIM’S PROGRESS

Voice of the Pilgrim Presbyterian Church

Vinita, Oklahoma   November, 2011

"A Letter from the Sidelines"

Dear friends,

Six years ago, by inviting me to be your part time pastor, you gave me responsibilities and duties which have been a continuous privilege.

I may have fallen short to do my best, but with reliance on God I have tried to declare and demonstrate that a Christian expresses and determines one's attitude toward life as a whole.

Since early June my health has been running down hill.  Following more tests and exams that I knew existed, the heart doctor I consulted told me "it's time to retire."  By now most of you know that Session has accepted my resignation.  At the same time, Session has asked that I continue to write a letter for Pilgrim's Progress, the MONDAY MORNING messages for email and the Church BLOG, and notes and cards to members and friends of the congregation.  I can do that, and I'll continue to do that, "from the sidelines", until you invite my replacement as your part time pastor.

I have great appreciation for Pilgrim Church.  I miss being with you every weekend, and I miss our "Monday at Ten" gathering at Burroughs Manor.

I cherish your friendship, and I ask that you continue to be involved in effective ministry of Pilgrim Church, and that you pray for me as I pray for you.

With blessings, affection, and all good wishes,

                                                                        and in Friendship,

             Richard

"Religion is primarily, and at the heart, the spiritual meeting of the soul with God"

 HYPERLINK "http://www.pilgrimpresbyterian.blogspot.com/" www.pilgrimpresbyterian.blogspot.com/

             

           Church email: HYPERLINK "mailto:pilgrimpresby@sbcglobal.net" pilgrimpresby@sbcglobal.net

2011.10.31 Monday Morning

 

Special warm greetings to all of you from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, in Vinita, Oklahoma, where we celebrate the 129th anniversary of Pilgrim Church.  

For six years at Pilgrim Church, I always sensed a feeling of thrill and humility to preach, and to serve Communion, as the congregation celebrated its birth on the Sunday nearest All Saints Day (Nov. 1, 2011).

 

To be in the company of an unseen cloud of Christians (Hebrews 12:1) who risked everything by leaving the comforts of their homes in the east to cross a hostile terrain to Oklahoma, with the good news of Jesus Christ, makes me feel very humble.

 

Humbling, yes, but it is also challenging to have entered into their labors.  Each generation is a link in a chain of Christian discipleship.  We must see to it that ours is not a weak link!

 

Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.  In that way we will be true to them, and to our Lord, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.  (Hebrews 13:8)

 

God is with you!

 

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

 

2011.10.24 Monday Morning

Best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma!

Golden memories are the gratitude of the heart. How grateful I am for the five years (1986-1991) Helen and I lived in her old family home in Wales, that small, beautiful land of song.

I remember one morning sitting along the expansive estuary at Bangor, in North Wales. I saw boats - large boats, small boats, pleasure boats, fishing boats. And, all of them were anchored in mud. Every boat tilted, some to the right, others to the left. It was most definitely not a picture post card. The tide was out. The estuary was a mess, grim and unattractive. But, when the tide came in - and it always does - the mud lost its grip on the boats. They stood straight again. Awake, ready to go to sea! Those boats were free to come and go once more.

Bangor Photo...  Probably not the view referred to by Richard, however...

Our lives are often like the tides; some are tempestuous, while others come and go with the smoothness of silk. I like the words of the poet, Dylan Thomas (1914-1954) as the tides of life envelope me.

"Every morning when I wake,

Dear Lord, a little prayer I make.

O please to keep Thy loving eye

On all poor creatures born to die.

And every evening at sundown

I ask a blessing on the town.

For whether we last the night or no

I'm sure is always touch-and-go.

We are not wholly bad or good

Who live our lives under Milk Wood.

And Thou, I know, will be the first

To see our best side, not our worst."

With blessings and in friendship,
Richard

2011.10.17 Monday Morning!

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

If you are in the area any Sunday morning at 10:00, come worship with us. If that's not possible, please say a prayer for us wherever you are. Thank you.

I want to tell you today about a good friend who was a professor of New Testament studies. He had escaped from his beloved Hungary during the uprising in the mid-1950's. More than a quarter million Hungarians left their homes at a time when Communists were oppressing dissidents, including Christians.

My friend, and a group of anti-Communists, captured the Communist headquarters in his home town. They held it for only a short time before being crushed. In that brief time he and his friends discovered a list of 'informers'. On the list was the name of my friend's best buddy.

When my friend confronted him, the man broke down and through his sobs asked, "What would you have done when the Communists threatened your wife and children?" The next day the informant committed suicide.

Life is complex. Evil is powerful. It is not easy to be a Christian in all circumstances.

When we become too smug in our faith and are tempted to find fault in how others respond to horrific situations, we will do well to hear the haunting question of that Hungarian informer: "What would you have done in my situation?"

With blessings and fond regards,

Richard

www.pilgrimpresbyterian.blogspot.com

Taken from the archives - Monday, September 6, 2010

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

Thanks for visiting our blog! We at Pilgrim Church hope that this "off-site/online" outreach is helpful to you. If it is, please pass our messages to others, and let us know if you enjoy them.

I may be naive, but I still believe that the overwhelming majority of Americans want to do what is right and decent. I know there are countless numbers of men and women who are breaking away from moral and ethical standards of the past with good reason. It is not easy to find answers to a question as to what is right.

Can we always be certain of what is right? Probably not, yet here is a suggestion which may help you to walk the right path:

Are you willing to make known your conduct to others?

A desire to keep ones actions secret, whether personal or public, is to be avoided. If one is doing what one instinctively wants to hide, it is probably wrong. On the other hand, if one can tell loved ones what one is doing, it is probably right.

Doing the wrong thing is usually hidden in the dark, while doing the right thing is usually seen in the light. That's a test as you seek answers to any question as to what is right.

Who said life is easy?


Peace,
Richard

2011.10.10 Monday Morning!

Greetings and all good wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

Do you remember the film " Bridge On the River Kwai?" The film was based on a book by Ernest Gordon, a Scot and an officer in the British Army during World War II. He was captured early in the war and spent the remainder of the war in a prison camp in Southeast Asia. After the war, he immigrated to the United States and became a chaplain at Princeton University.

In his book, Gordon wrote that he had no religious faith at all when he was captured, but he came away from that prison camp convinced he had been touched by God and he was called to spend the rest of his life serving others. He wrote: "In the muck and misery of that dreadful prison camp, I learned to care for others and that God cared for me. I discovered I was important to others. God found me in the most unexpected place."

Life is filled with strange interruptions - unexpected moments that change our lives forever. At the time such interruptions are often unwelcome and resented. At other times, they are signs of hope. In retrospect, they often seem as if they were destined.

When you may have unexpected interruptions, evaluate them for they may change the whole landscape of your life.

With blessings and best wishes,
Richard

www.pilgrimpresbyterian.blogspot.com/

2011.10.03 Monday Morning!

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

We have a choice. We can choose to build up one another, or we can choose to tear down one another. Let me share two encounters to illustrate what I mean.

I stopped at a gas station in Vian, a small town in Oklahoma, near Dwight Mission, our Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center. A gas attendant came out in the rain to pump gas. He smiled, and said hello, and seemed to be genuinely happy to serve his customers. After filling my tank, he did an extraordinary thing: he shook my hand, said "Thank you" and wished me well. He made my day.

Later, in Tulsa, I bought gas at a self-service station. The attendant was in a glassed-in-booth. Her eyes never met mine. Sullen lines marked her face. I felt like an intruder as she cracked her gum, took my money, all the while looking down. She seemed completely disinterested in her job. That young woman made me sad.

Every time we meet another person, each of us is given an opportunity to create or destroy by the way we dignify or deny that person.

Jesus was on target when he taught us to do to others as we want others to do to us.

With blessings and all good wishes,

Richard

www.pilgrimpresbyterian.blogspot.com/

Pilgrims Progress Newsletter October 2011

PILGRIM’S PROGRESS

Voice of the Pilgrim Presbyterian Church
Vinita, Oklahoma October, 2011

A Pastoral Letter

Dear friends,

Death in the midst of life hits us all sooner or later. Most of us have met it in the loss of someone close to us. In bereavement, faith can soften the feeling of desolation, but can do little to make less natural human grief.

Blessed are those with a family circle to which they can turn in bereavement. But often children may have moved and are not readily accessible. And, there are many who have no children.

One source of healing in bereavement is the use of memory. There is a justifiable form 'of living in the past'. To remember incidents that provoke laughter or evoke a quiet smile of happiness are part of the gift of loving and being loved.

Memory, of course, causes us to recall the bad with the good, missed opportunities, hurtful words, silly mistakes. Thankfully, God's mercy does forgive our blindness and wrong doing.

There is one other helpful source of strength in bereavement. That is the Christian hope of life beyond death. Read Romans 8:35, 37-39. This throws grieving back upon the vitality of a person's faith in God.

To know God in Jesus Christ is to possess the power to meet bereavement victoriously.

With affectionate regards to a wonderful congregation, and in friendship,

Richard



"The Church is essentially a fellowship"

www.pilgrimpresbyterian.blogspot.com/

Church email:pilgrimpresby@sbcglobal.net


THE PRAYER LIST

Please remember the following individuals in your daily prayers: 
Richard Evans, John Burckhalter, Mary Draper, Vera Tresler, Louise Gullett, John Gullett, Patricia Hemphill. Pat Robinson, Dee Ann George, Joan Dirmyer, Dee Ann George, Adele Davis, Clell Goodpaster Brett Forbes family serving in the military. Please also remember all service men and women.

We light the Peace Candle each Sunday and pray for all men and women currently serving in the military and their families, as well as for all who are suffering from war, persecution and terrorism.

*********************

Church birthdays are celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of the Month 
– October 9th – Linda Burger will supply the birthday cake.

4 – Sue Ratcliff
7 – Ryder Vazquez
12 – Carter Given
15 – Cynthia Boatright
16 – John Turner
16 – AnnaBelle Mitchell
17 – Melba Shelton
19 – Chris Conine
28 – Jim Dishman


You may pick up your copy of
"These Days" in the Narthex.


WORLD WIDE COMMUNION
Will be observed Sunday, October 2 at 10:00 a.m.
The Reverend Judy Henderson will serve Communion.

~~Notes from Session~~

The stated Session meeting opened at 11:15 a.m. on September 18, 2011 with prayer by Moderator Ann Wasson. Present were: Irene Conine, Keith Cresap, Joyce Dishman, Wally Olson, Sue Ratcliff, and Jim Shelton. Kitty Brown, Sarah Bruce, and Fred York were excused. Minutes of the August 21st minutes were approved.

Keith Cresap gave the Treasurer’s Report for the month of August 2011. Beginning Balance was $7,309.95, Receipts were $2,243.77, Expenditures were $3,731.20, and the Closing Balance was $5,822.52. The Treasurer’s Report was approved by common consent.

Also under the Treasurer’s Report was receipt of the EOP Report for Pilgrim Church , the 2012 Mission Pledge Form, and a letter to all Stewardship/Mission Committees, Sessions, and Pastors in EOP dated July 21, 2011.   Joyce Dishman will compile the figures for Mission giving during 2011.

Under the Pastor’s Report, Session received Richard’s resignation letter dated September 7, 2011. After further consultation with Session members, Richard withdrew his resignation on September 13, 2011. Wally Olson moved that Session approve Richard’s decision, there was a 2nd, and the motion carried.

Under the Clerk’s Report was a letter from EOP dated July 20, 2011, regarding the change in ordination standards in the Book of Order. EOP also included a copy of the Policies and Procedures Guide for the Work of the Session.

Under the Trustees’ Report, after some discussion, Wally Olson moved that the church manse be offered for sale to member Walter Rapp for $55,000.00, Irene Conine 2nd, and the motion carried.

Under Committee Reports, Irene is planning for special music during the Holiday Season. Under Mission and Outreach, Joyce reported that she had delivered the donations for Bundles for Babies and Blue Star Mothers. Joyce also noted that the Salvation Army food panty is very low and could use food and money donations. Wally Olson will be donating two beefs to the pantry in the near future.

Under New Business, Session approved the use of the church by member Jim Shelton on Friday, November 11th, and Saturday, November 12th, for the rehearsal dinner and wedding of Mary Kate Shelton and James Craven.

Session conducted the annual review of the composition of Session, Deacons, and Trustees regarding ethnicity, age, sex, and disabilities with regard to the make-up of the congregation. This information is useful for the Nominating Committee.

The Nominating Committee includes Sarah Bruce, Irene Conine, Jewell Morgan, Todd Mariner, and Walter Rapp. The committee will report to Session at the October 16th meeting.

Under Other Business, the Worship Assistant for October is Sue Ratcliff, and Communion will be prepared on Sunday, October 2nd, by Toni Moore.

The next Session meeting will be held on Sunday, October 16, 2011.

Ann Wasson, Moderator Sue Ratcliff, Clerk of Session

Thank you to:

• Irene, Dianne, Shirley, Sarah, and Jewell for taking food to "Bridges Out of Poverty" student and leader participants.
• Pam for her donations of "Blankets for Babies"
• Irene for making sure we have a minister each Sunday.

~~Notes from Deacons~~

Bingo at Burroughs
We resumed our monthly bingo games at Burroughs Manor on Sat. Sept. 17th. A good crowd was on hand and a good time had by all. Jean Cowley and Diane Rapp shared calling the numbers. Walter Rapp, Jewell Morgan, Toni Moore were also in attendance. Cookies were served and everyone looking forward to next month when bingo will be on Sat. Oct 15th.

Next Deacons meeting will be October 16

CHURCH     OFFICERS
Session Members                    Deacons

(Class of ’11)                       (Class of ’11)
Sarah Bruce                         Jewell Morgan
Irene Conine                      Shirley Spaulding
Kitty Brown

(Class of ’12)                       (Class of ’12)
Joyce Dishman                      Jim Dishman
 Wally Olson                         Dianne Rapp
  Jim Shelton

(Class of '13)                        (Class of '13)
Keith Cresap                        Jeanne Cowley
Sue Ratcliff                             Jan Haney
 Fred York                             Toni Moore

              2011                                 2011
WORSHIP ASSISTANTS           COMM. PREPARERS
October – Sue Racliff           Oct – Toni Moore
November- Jim Shelton        Nov – Wally Olson
December – Elders Share     Dec – Keith Cresap


The PPC mouse observed ----------
•Someone putting up a new curtain in the Pastor's restroom.  Could it have been Toni?
•Beautiful fall decorations appearing.   Was it Sarah?
•Cookies at the last minute.  Thanks Dianne.