THIS SUNDAY: Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Nov. 15, 2020, Proper 28, and Zoom; Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com.
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Dear Pilgrims Who Love,
It is truly autumn in the Pacific Northwest. For members of our community who live in other parts of the country, what this means is that we welcome the clouds, winds, rain, and drizzle that keeps this part of the world so green throughout the year. We’ve been in a drought situation in OR and WA, so rain is a very good thing. For some of our members, this is a cozy time, with shorter days of light, a hot cup of coffee or tea, and when not at work the chance to read a good book in a comfortable reading chair, a blanket over our legs. Welcome, autumn days!
This Sunday we are going to watch and discuss the video, Called to Love One Another. This is a video project I began a few years ago with the OR-ID United Methodist Conference. At the time, the video project was, Called to Love, with the focus on helping churches/non-LGBTQIA+ people to learn how to love LGBTQIA+ people. I broadened it to be more of a two-way love: how churches are called to love LGBTQIA+ people, and how LGBTQIA+ people are called to love those who are non-LGBTQIA+ people, based on John 13:34-35. How hard can that be? To quote biblical scholar Elisabeth Johnson, “Jesus could not be clearer: It is not by our theological correctness, not by our moral purity, not by our impressive knowledge that everyone will know that we are his disciples. It is quite simply by our loving acts — acts of service and sacrifice, acts that point to the love of God for the world made known in Jesus Christ.” I invited three pastors from rural, urban, and suburban setting to talk about their churches’ pilgrimage from being closed to LGBTQIA+ to being welcoming, and a lesbian, gay man, and transgender non-binary person to talk about the process of being hidden, to being out and still a member of a UMC congregation. In the end, we all talk about this passage, this command, this call to love one another, as Jesus loves us. Join us this Sunday for viewing this video and this discussion!
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Thank you, all, for your contribution of time, talent, service, and financial gifts to us and to the wider PCUSA in 2020. As we draw to the end of the year 2020, there is still time to give to the Community of Pilgrims in terms of what people have pledged for 2020. During Advent 2020, we will also have our annual pledge drive! Stay tuned!
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We will be gathering items for Human Solutions again during Advent! Watch this space for more information.
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Events!
Nov. 15, Gather, Watching Called to Love One Another as our Devotion, and Zoom!
Nov. 22, The Reign of Christ Sunday, Gather and Devotion and Zoom!
Nov. 29, First Sunday of Advent, Gather and Devotion and Zoom!
Dec. 6, Second Sunday of Advent, Gather and Devotion and Zoom!
Dec. 13, Third Sunday of Advent, Gather and Devotion and Zoom!
Dec. 20, Fourth Sunday of Advent, Gather and Devotion and Zoom!
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Prayers of Celebration and Concern
· Bill's family and friends on the death of Delphine.
· Chuck's son-in-law Lyn who died.
· Lorinda's two special women friends, Christine who has been diagnosed with uterine cancer and Sigrid who has been diagnosed with brain cancer.
· Alex Trebek who died today of pancreatic cancer.
· Thanksgiving that this week ended OK.
· Veterans who died in our wars including Linda's friends Grant and Guy who both died in Vietnam 50 years too early.
· Katherine Johnson, the mathematician who got us to the moon, who died this week.
· Sean Connery who died October 31.
· Thanksgiving for so much dancing in the streets.
· Both incoming and outgoing administrations.
· Humble winners.
· Celebrations for Christian whose birthday is November 20.
· Celebrations for Winston whose birthday is Tuesday.
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Poem
Sounding the Seasons, by Malcolm Guite
Tangled in time, we live with hints and guesses
Turning the wheel of each returning year,
But in between our failures and successes
We sometimes glimpse the Love that casts out fear,
Sometimes the heart remembers its own reasons
And breathes a Sanctus as we tell our story,
Tracing the tracks of grace, sounding the seasons
That lead at last through time to timeless glory.
From the first yearnings for a Savior’s birth
To the full joy of knowing sins forgiven
We gather as His church on God’s good earth
To share an echo of the choirs of heaven
I share these hints, returning what was lent,
Turning to praise each ‘moment’s monument’.
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Buen Camino!
Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.