2011.3.28 Monday Morning!

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

In the last three months our family has mourned the sudden deaths of two dear friends.  Both friends gave their hearts to Jesus Christ.  By their kind, gracious lives they declared and demonstrated Christ as a living power.

Their wholly unexpected deaths remind me of the impermanence of life.  As pilgrims on a journey, none of us is assured of tomorrow.  We live to the rhythm of life and death, of sorrow and joy.

The Tulsa World, a daily newspaper, devotes a page which is called "Our Lives."  On that page notices of birth and deaths, marriages and divorces are reported.  Behind each notice their is a case of human sorrow and human joy.

No one can escape from this rhythm of life.  Know that we are not permanent residents on earth, but pilgrims of eternity.

Know, too, that Christ is with us on our pilgrimage.  Christ gives us his life, his spirit, his love, joy and peace.

With blessings and 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.

2011.3.7 Monday Morning!

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

Today, I share with you a story about a fictional woman, who you'll not find in Pilgrim Church. Nevertheless, you may have met this woman some time, somewhere.

She is vivacious, strong and capable, and very pious. Faithful to worship services at her little Church on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Ninth Street, she nods her head and shouts "Amen" whenever her minister condems drinking, dancing, movies, gambling, and Sunday sports events.

One Sunday her pastor preached against harm caused by gossip, and as he droned on (some preachers never know the value of short sermons), she could keep silent no longer.  In a loud whisper, heard throughout the congregation, she said: "Now he's stopped preaching and started meddling."

You don't know any self-righteous person like our fictional woman, or do you?

Peace and in friendship


Richard

A PEARL OF VALUE

"Minds like parachutes are valuable only when open!"

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."

2011.2.21 Monday Morning!

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

In recent conversations, I've found some people have diffiiculty speaking with confidence about the worth of prayer.

To pray is serious business.  Prayer is conversation with God.  To say "I believe in God" and not to pray is, I believe, a denial of God.  It is to live as if God does not exist.

Jesus gave us two modes of prayer.  After an exhausing day he found a place to give himself to communion with God.  We might call this a "prayer of withdrawal."  (Mark 1:35).  It is good to set aside a time to withdraw from the activity of daily life and spend "quiet time" in prayer and meditation.

The second mode of prayer is to practice being in the presence of God while involved in the varying circumstances of life.  This type of prayer is like shooting out a dart whenever one sees a need.  This is a brief prayer, a sentence, a few words.  (Luke 23:34)

Discipleship calls for both unhurried quiet time in prayer and meditation, and short prayers, most often offered in silence, in particular circumstances that prompt it.

Christ has given us patterns for prayer.  Not to pray is a serious condition for all who say that God does exist.

With blessings, and an assurance that I pray for all of you who read these MONDAY MORNING messages.

Richard

Pictures of our Valentine's Dinner!

Hello to Everyone!

I have gotten the Valentine's Dinner Pictures up courtesy of Jewell Morgan, our Official Church Photographer!  Thanks again, Jewell.   Anyone else who has photos of Church functions or photos that you feel everyone would like to see about our church, its history, etc.  We would love to have them.  Please send them to me and I will get them up.  Contact eMail below.

-Brian