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.

2012.02.27 Monday Morning Message

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

The New York Giants took home the "Lombardi Trophy" after winning the Super Bowl.  It is a coveted trophy named after Vince Lombardi, who coached the Green Bay Packers years ago.  Coach Lombardi is a sort of a legend in my home state of Wisconsin.

Lombardi loved the game of football.  Even before he made a name for himself in football, he was offered lucrative jobs in firms not connected with the game, but he chose to stay with football.

He had a way of working with players!  He sought the best from his players, calling for personal
discipline, stressing the need of practice, practice, practice.

He was a great coach, but above all he was a man of God.  A Roman Catholic, he attended church daily.  He had his priorities right!  God was number one; obedience to God meant everything to him.  He preached to his players, God, family and the Green Bay Packers in that order.

When we think of the game of football, we can find many similarities to life.  Some teams are
content to rest on past performances, satisfied with the status quo.  Some teams allow set backs to break their spirit soon arguing with team mates and criticizing the play of others.  Some players expect more reward, more praise.

Football carries with it parallels to life.  Life is such that we shall always make "wrong plays".   When Lombardi reviewed "wrong plays" with his team, he worked hard to correct them, and to 
encourage his players to move ahead, facing new challenges without the baggage of past mistakes.

God does not stop loving us every time we do something wrong.  Neither should we stop loving ourselves and each other for being less than perfect.

Best Wishes, Cheers,
Richard

Vinita Hornets Pot Luck Dinner Celebration!

Hello Everyone!

Here are some pictures that Jewell Morgan took at the "Hornet Potluck Dinner" On Sunday September 11th in celebration of the Vinita Hornets!

As always, Jewell, Thank You for the continuous stream of photos of our Church Life!

Hope you enjoy the Photographs!

Peace,

Brian

2011.2.14 Monday Morning!

Valentine greetings!  Thank you for visiting our Pilgrim Presbyterian BLOG.  While buried in snow in Vinita, Oklahoma, our Valentine wishes for you are warm and sincere.

 

A young friend was quite upset when I saw her at a card shop in a Tulsa mall.  She didn't like the idea of having to buy a Valentine for her boss to send to his wife.

 

That is hardly a picture of the true meaning of this lovely, sentimental day.  I think it is important for children and adults to know and understand that love is something to count on within families and close circles of friends.  There is something amiss when one has to "farm out" genuine sentiment and love.

 

To forget to share, to communicate, individual love is a failure to express the deepest feelings of one's life.

 

It's Valentine's Day!  I hope you'll receive and give a true expression of individual love.

 

Richard

 

A PEARL OF VALUE

 

While we have loved ones, we ought

to tell them of our love and gratitude.