2012.05.28 Monday Morning Message

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

Last Monday I wrote about loneliness in our American society.  Sixty million Americans are unhappy with their lives because of l.

Being alone is not necessarily being lonely.  We all need time to be alone.  Jesus often took time to be alone to refresh his spirit, to relax his body, before returning to engagement with people.

It is when we sever connections with others that loneliness grips us.  To move from being alone to connection with God and people is to overcome loneliness.

It is interesting that in the Genesis account of creation God said "It is good" after each act. (Read Genesis chapter 1)  It is after God created a man (Adam) that God for the time time said "it is not good"...it is not good that a person live without connection.

How can we overcome loneliness?  By being connected with people and causes that are important.  The by-product of connections is happiness and loneliness runs away.

Rabbi Gafni, in his book Soul Prints, reminds us that happiness cannot be pursued for its own sake.  We must pursue goals other than happiness and as a by-product of our pursuit, we will be happy and loneliness will dissolve.

How much time do you spend exchanging your deepest thoughts and aspirations with another person?  How much time do you give in sharing your talents with others?  

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

Church email: pilgrimpresby@sbcglobal.net

On Sunday, June 3 join us for a family meal following morning worship.    Ken Bailey will be our guest minister.  Ken is the brother of Bow Bailey.  He and his wife Jeannie will be here to share our meal. 

Red Morris is barbecuing pulled pork and the congregation is asked to bring salads and desserts.

2012.05.21 Monday Morning Message

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

Founded in 1871, Vinita is the intersection of several railways. It is the second oldest town in Oklahoma, and is the oldest incorporated town along historic Route 66. If you are visiting on a Sunday morning, please worship with us at 10:00 a.m. If you can't be with us in person, say a little prayer for our worshipping congregation.

Do you ever feel lonely? I was stunned to read a report of an AARP survey which states that 35% of adults over the age of 45 are chronically lonely, up from 20% a decade earlier.

Sixty million Americans are unhappy with their lives because of loneliness!

I am sure that there are many reasons for people feeling lonely. Could the modern social media be one? Facebook and Twitter, exchanging 'clicks', avoids human face to face conversation. Some studies report that one in four Americans have 'zero close friends'.

Why do you think there is so much loneliness in our society? Let me know.

Are you conscious of the presence of God in your daily life?

With all good wishes,
Richard

Announcements:

• Our minister for Pentecost Sunday, May 27 will be Craig Kilgour. He is the minister from New Zealand.
• The next Sunday, June 3 we will have a family meal and welcome Ken Bailey and his wife Jeannie. Ken is the brother of Bow Bailey and they live in Kentucky.
• Red Morris will be barbecuing pulled pork and the congregation is asked to bring salads and desserts. The rest of the meal is provided.

2012.05.14 Monday Morning Message

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

Bible wisdom asserts that people have powerful hungers that will not be satisfied by bread alone.  (Deuteronomy 8:3).  We, human beings have other hungers.  Be be aware of them, and to act upon them, makes life rich and splendid.

What are those hungers, you might ask?

Well, don't you have a hunger for love and affection?  Without them you"ll shrivel and die in spirit.

And, there are other hungers which make us fully human.  We hunger to be needed, to be useful and vital in some life other than our own  That hunger tells us that we need to perform some tasks that enrich our church, our community, our circle of friends.

I wish more people experienced a hunger for contributing a little kindness and goodness.  That would renew faith and go a long way toward increasing tolerance and civility.

While it is important to be aware of the millions of people who don't get enough to eat, it is important to nourish our souls with that which has imperishable meaning, and which gives us dignity and self-respect.

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

Announcements:

Bingo at Burroughs Manor Sat. May 19 - 2:00 - 3:00

Helpers are needed.

Next Sunday is Birthday Sunday.  We celebrate Lawrence Noggle, Jan Clark, Mark Curnutte and Jim Ratcliff.

Session and Deacons meet after worship and birthday cake.

Fran Callaway, our Moderator will conduct the Morning Worship and Session meeting.

I will be out of the office Tues-Thurs and will return on Fri.

Jewell

2010.06.14 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian, a friendly Church of the faith, located in Vinita, Oklahoma.
 
Fifty years ago, my wife and I bought a log cabin on the shore of Schroon Lake, NY, in the Adirondacks.  We lived simply in this summer retreat, which had never been modernized.
 
There was an old well from which we drew our cool, refreshing water.  The day came when we decided to move into the 20th century.  Electricity replaced kerosene lanterns, running water gave us indoor plumbing.  No longer was it necessary to carry water from the old well.
 
A few summers passed when I decided one day to inspect the well.  To my surprise, it was dry!  The well had run without failing for many years, yet now it was dry.  There was no water because the well had not been used.
 
Our souls are like that well.  What happened to that well can happen to us if we don't use God's Living Water.
 
There is no need for your soul or mine to be dry.  We can draw from the depths of God's Living Water in fellowship with Christ and his Church!
 
Don't suffer from spiritual dehydration!
 
 
Richard