2012.04.23 Monday Morning Message

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

A young cynic was depressed by the evil and suffering in the world.  He complained, "Why did God make a world like this?  I could make a better world than this."

His wise teacher answered, "That's exactly the reason God put you into the world...to make a better world.  Now, go and do your part."

The Christian gospel is about changed lives, renewed faith.  Though dependent upon God, God gave us the gift of free will, and God depends on us to choose wisely.  God cannot make a peaceful nation and world unless we root out hatred from our hearts.  God cannot build healthy families unless we work with God to bring sharing love and mutual respect to our relationships.  God needs each one of us.

Now, go and do your part!

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

Our minister this Sunday, April 29 will be the Reverend Jo Wright from St. John's Episcopal, Vinita.

2012.03.05 Monday Morning Message

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

We have had a mild winter in Oklahoma, with only one day of snow so far, and that covered the ground like powdered sugar for less than a day.

I was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Michigan, where we saw lots of snow and plenty of sub-zero temperatures.   At the first signs of snow, I remember seeing signs in front of gas stations which read "Check Your Chains!"  I am a loyal "Badger/Cheesehead", but I don't think I could survive another winter in my hometown.

There are other 'Chains' than those I once put over my tires to get through snow.  People in the mid-east and north Africa,  living under dictators and totalitarian governments have been fighting and dying to be free of despots.

And there are 'Chains' that prevent us, living in freedom, from living a whole, balanced, harmonious life, to which Jesus summons us.  Some are 'Chains' of blind prejudice and "Chains" of tyrannical habits.  Still others are bound by 'Chains' of fear and anxiety, by 'Chains' of greed and a distressing disregard for the well being of others.

What are you doing to dethrone any inner despots which may be holding you in 'Chains'?

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

 

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The funeral of long time member Anna Belle Mitchell was held in the church Monday at 2 p.m.  Please keep the family in your prayers.

Dr. Don Roulet from Broken Arrow will preach Sunday.  We will have Communion on this Third Sunday in Lent.

Jim Ratcliff continues to do well after his recent fall.  

Sunday is Birthday Sunday - we celebrate:  Irene Conine, Suzie Cresap, Gage Kroll, Bob Hartley, Bobby Hartley, Janie York and Pat Sowers.

 

Daylight Savings Time Saturday night -  Spring Forward

2012.02.20 Monday Morning Message

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


If you are in our area on a Sunday morning, come and worship with us.  If you are nowhere near Vinita, please say a prayer for us at 10:00 a.m., when our Sunday service begins.

One of Bernard Shaw's characters said, "It's easy to be respectable with nobody offering you a chance to be anything else."

Temptations visit all of us, and are the conflicting urges and drives that compel us to make choices between ideals and inclinations.  The Devil is a symbol of our human tendency toward evil, and while I do not believe in the existence of a personal devil, I do believe all of us live in a state of tension between impulses for good and impulses for evil.  God has endowed us with freedom of will.  Therefore, we must make choices!

I suspect our culture and environment have as much to do with the way we handle temptation as does our character and temperament.  For me, this means I must take care when I feel moved to be censorious about others.  Not having experienced their temptations, I need to be more understanding of them as they struggle with their moral and ethical temptations.

With blessings and friendship,

Richard

A PEARL OF VALUE

"THE SIN OF THE WORLD EXISTS NOT BECAUSE OF A FEW PEOPLE ARE SPECTACULARLY SINFUL, BUT BECAUSE MOST OF US ARE AS GOOD AS WE ARE AND NO BETTER."

　　WILLIAM TEMPLE, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

DR.  JEFF FRANCIS WILL FILL THE PULPIT SUNDAY, FEB. 28.  SARAH BRUCE IS WORSHIP ASST.  JOYCE DISHMAN, ORGANIST

2012.02.13 Monday Morning Message

Greetings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.


I hope the messages are a welcome start to the new week.  Several email friends have asked for prayers.  Be assured that any and all communication, including prayer requests, will get a personal reply.

With blessings and all good wishes,

Richard Evans

One of the convicted co-conspirators in the Watergate scandal made this remarkable confession:

"I have lived 50 years of my life without ever coming to grips with the very basic questions of what is and what is not important to me;  What is and what is not right and wrong; What is and what is not valuable and worthwhile."

We might ask ourselves in pursuit of taking a good, hard look at ourselves some useful questions.

Have I grown more caring or more callous?

Have I become more forgiving or more vengeful?

Have I become more tolerant or more critical?

Have I become more generous or more self-centered?

Have I tried to become better or only better off?

Have I change for the better or for the worse?

Have I grown as a person or have I become smaller?

TAKE A GOOD, HARD LOOK AT YOURSELF!

A NOTE FOR THE LOCALS:

St. John's Episcopal has invited Pilgrim Presbyterian to a salad luncheon following morning worship Sunday, February 19.  Their church is over about 11:30 and we have Session and Deacons meetings at 11:00 so it should work out great.  Please let the church know if you plan to attend.  It is a privilege to have them prepare a luncheon for us so please try to participate.  

Call the church office and leave a message 918-256-2258 or email pilgrimpresby@sbcglobal.net.  

THEY DO NEED AN APPROXIMATE COUNT.

SESSION AND DEACONS MEET FOLLOWING MORNING WORSHIP SUNDAY, FEB. 19

THE REV. RAY HICKMAN WILL CONDUCT MORNING WORSHIP AND MODERATE SESSION

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.

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

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

2011.9.12 Monday Morning!

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

After Jesus, perhaps the best known New Testament character is Peter.  We think of him as a gregarious, outgoing man of action.  He was out in front of the other disciples who accepted him as a leader. Yet, like all of us, Peter had his weaknesses.

The low point in his life came the night of Jesus' arrest when he denied knowing his Master.  We might have done the same thing in similar circumstances.  The instinct to survive is strong.   There is no telling how a person will react in a critical situation.

Peter was only one among many Bible heroes to default.  Moses became a fugitive on the run after he murdered an Egyptian and then fled the country.  David was an adulterer and also an accessory to murder.  The Apostle Paul, before his conversion, presided over a lynch mob.

We live in an imperfect world and no one is an angel.  We live battered lives and we are often sorry for things we do and say, and, like Peter, Moses, David and Paul, we are given a second chance - all by the grace of God.

With blessings and in friendship,
Richard

2011.9.05 Monday Morning!

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

Since Brian Dishman, a son of Pilgrim Church, set up our BLOG I've received numerous messages, a few from strangers, more from "old time friends." It is always good (and encouraging) to get responses (favorable or unfavorable) to our MONDAY MORNING messages.

I had a good laugh reading the following, and I hope it will put a smile on your face, too.

A teenage boy had just gotten his driver's license and asked his Dad if they could discuss the use of the family car. His Dad said he'd make a deal.  "You bring your grades from 'C' to 'B' average, study your Bible a little, and get your hair cut, and then we'll talk about the car"

The young man thought for a moment before deciding to go for the offer. After a couple of months, the Dad said "Son, you've brought up your grades and I've been watching you studying your Bible, but I'm a little disappointed that you haven't had your hair cut yet."

The son looked at his Dad and said "You know, Dad, I've been thinking about that. I've noticed in my Bible studies that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, and I've seen pictures of Jesus with long hair."

To which the Father replied, "And did you also notice that everywhere they went they walked!"

Humor is an important part of a full life.


Blessings,

Richard

2011.7.11 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.
We are privileged to live in a democracy, with no political oppression. Yet, living in a land of freedom there are many inner tyrants which enslave us. Independence Day - the 4th of July - is a challenge to check chains which keep us in bondage.

What are some of these chains?
....blind prejuidice that prevents us from seeing people as they really are.
....superstitions that suffocate the mind and spirit.
....habits that rule over us.
....fears and anxieties that disturb our days and haunt our nights.
....greed that seeks status and phony values.
....jealousy that sours us, hatred that poisons us.
....self doubt that disables us.

Don't hesitate to get help to dethrone chains that prevent you from getting human freedom, to which Christ summons us.

Fond regards,
Richard

2011.6.20 Monday Morning!

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

 

In ancient times, when God gave the 10 Commandments to Moses, every person in a family or tribal unit was needed to work so all might survive.

 

When a person was unable to work, there was a threat to the survival of the family or tribe.  The old, the weak and frail were frequently abused and discarded.

 

In this setting God spoke with a new commandment to Israel, saying:  "You are not to treat the elderly, the weak, in in the same manner other tribes do.  You are not to discard them.  By keeping in connection with them you honor your father and mother.

 

Today, most people welcome Father's Day with unreserved feelings of gratitude and affection.  Yet, we know there are others who dread Father's Day as a harsh reminder of abuse and unhappiness.

 

So do your best to keep in contact with your parents.  If that is not possible, don't feel guilty; you've done what you could.

 

For those of us whose parents are no longer living, this is a time to remember pleasant times shared.  That's a good way to honor parents.

 

With all good wishes,

Richard

2011.5.16 Monday Morning!

SMILE!  It's my MONDAY MORNING message reaching out to you from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, in Vinita, Oklahoma.   Smile because smiling and laughter are good medicine.   A few years ago I attended a meeting of ministers and elders where one person soon had everyone relaxed and laughing, except one glum person who sat like a sphink.  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 smutty jokes or cruel  jibes at someone else.  However, the right kind of laughter brings fun and happiness into our lives, and that is important.   Hearty laughter for the right reason is good medicine.  And, preventive medicine is cheaper in every way than curative medicine.   Love, laugh and live.   Richard

2011.4.4 Monday Morning

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.
 
Generally speaking there are few things that are either good or bad in themselves.  Things derive their power to curse or to bless from how we use them.
 
When I think of the Church I tend to think of all the good it does.  Yet, I am aware that through the ages people in the Church, and in all religions, have been a cause for cruelty and violence as well as for immeasurable good.
 
It is sad to think how religious extremists today are fostering hate and intolerance in the world, and in our nation.  Didn't Jesus show us in the parable of the Good Samaritan (luke 10:25-37) how to act toward one another?
 
Be careful and avoid all forms of religious extremism!  None of us has us has exclusive knowledge of the mind of God. 
 
                   Thanks for visiting our BLOG today.
 
                  www.pilgrimpresbyterian.blogspot.com


In friendship,
Richard

2011.3.21 Monday Morning

Greetings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma, the second oldest town in the state, founded in 1871. Eleven years later, in 1882, our Presbyterian Church was organized. It continues a vital ministry, sharing God's redeeming love and forgiveness with all people.

Our Bible tells us that "it is more blessed to give than to receive." Of course, children and young people are not likely to agree. They love getting birthday and Christmas presents.

As we get older, we find giving more satisfying than receiving. This is evident as we see care and concern flow to the disaster stricken people living in Japan.

How gratifying it is to see the international community offer prayers and material aid as symbols of the deepest feelings for those suffering from a three-fold disaster; earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis.

There are times when we think selfishness rules, but it doesn't. In the long run selfishness fails. If we do not learn that in advance, we will learn it afterward in catastrophe.

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

P. S. We are thankful that the editor of our BLOG, Brian Dishman, and his wife, Motoko, and their daughter, Rina, all living in Japan, are safe. Sadly, members of their family are either dead or missing, and our heartfelt sympathy goes to them.

2011.3.14 Monday Morning!

Top of this MONDAY MORNING from Pilgim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

The tendency to put off today until tomorrow things we already put off until today is not uncommon.  I'm guilty.  I've been putting off a collection of information for my tax accountant.  After all, the deadline isn't until April 18, or is it the 19th?

This "delay tendency" touches us all at many points of our lives.  When I retired I thought that I would have plenty of time to do things I couldn't do when working full time.  Not true for me, at least.

We live in this world that gives us one day at a time, without assurance of tomorrow.  Today is ours to do the things that need doing now.  Promptness is important, a virtue which includes worshipping with one's community of faith and renewing one's inner life through daily prayer and meditation.

I just had a phone call from my doctor's office reminding me of an appointment I have tomorrow.  Can't put that one off.

With blessings and in friendship,
Richard

A PEARL OF VALUE

Don't put off until tomorrow what should

be done today.  Our time is not limitless -

do what you ought to do now.

2011.2.28 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, in Vinita, Oklahoma. Thank you for your "visit" today. We hope you'll come again and that you'll share our address with friends.

Miss Lyons, my 4th grade teacher at Winslow School, in Racine, Wisconsin, loved poetry and instilled her passion for it in the lives of her students. This line jumped into my mind last week: 

"I shot an arrow into the air, it fell to the ground
I know not where."
Too often our "arrows" take the form of ugly, hurtful words. We "shoot off our mouths" without thinking, and our words cannot be retrieved.

Far better than anything I can say about the use of words is to be found in the short epistle of James; yes, it is in the New Testament. Try to read James, chapter 3, sometime this week.

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

A PEARL OF VALUE

"The tongue can witness to the

truth and can spread falsehood."