THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Nov. 7, 2021, All Saints’ Day Remembrance, Gathering and Devotion on Zoom this Sunday. If you have any questions, or are interested in a conversation, contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com and visit www.communityofpilgrims.com.
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Dear Community of Pilgrims!
On Monday, Nov. 1, when I told Christian that today was All Saints’ Day we both broke out in song with the first line or two of the hymn, “For All the Saints,” singing, “For all the saints, who from their labors rest,” and then hummed the rest of the verses because we couldn’t remember the words. Here’s the rest of verse one: “Who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy name, O Jesus, be forever bless’d. Alleluia, alleluia!” William Walsham How is the writer of these words. It was published in 1864. It has since been published in 521 hymnals.
What stands out to me are the second and fourth verse. Verse two: “Thou wast their rock, their refuge, and their might, thou, Christ, the hope that put their fears to flight; ‘mid gloom and doubt, their true and shining light. Alleluia, alleluia!” I am drawn to the imagery of these words, of Jesus being the rock, the refuge, the hiding place, in which our ancestors, and we, can put upon Jesus all our cares and woes, who reminds us who he is: God, putting fear to flight, along with any sense of gloom and doubt.
And the fourth verse: “The golden evening brightens in the west. Soon, soon to faithful servants cometh rest. Sweet is the calm of paradise the bless’d. Alleluia, alleluia!” This echoes this Sunday’s reading from Isaiah 25: 5-10, in which the prophet talks about deliverance from oppression, promising a land in which there will be a feast of “rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And God will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. Then God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of God’s people will (be taken away) from all the earth, and God has spoken” (vs. 6-8). Indeed, sweet is the calm of paradise for us all.
I close with the words of poet Jan Richardson, who writes these words from her poem, “For Those Who Walked With Us”: “For those who have gone ahead, this is a blessing. For those who touched and tended us, who lingered with us while they lived, this is a thanksgiving.” On this Sunday, when we celebrate All Saints’ Day, let us give thanks to God for the lives of those who are no longer with us, especially those we loved in good and challenging times, remembering that, for them, they are truly at rest. And because they are at rest, at peace, with God in Christ, we can be at rest, too. Join us this Sunday as we talk about our memories of those who are beloved, those whose memories still challenge us daily, and those who touched and tended to our every need, whose memory lingers with us, let us find peace in this life with all these memories, and the life to come.
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It is that time in the Church year that, along with all the special holy days, there is also our need to ask people to consider in what ways you can support our ministry with one another and the world in which we live through our time, our service, our gifts, and our financial support. Please consider how you can support us, the Community of Pilgrims in 2022. There is a pledge form attached to this email, which you can either copy and email back to Bill Kinsey, our Treasurer (email address is above), or print out and send back to Bill at: 1828 SW Terrace Dr. Portland, OR 97201 503.226.6060. Please try to return your form to Bill Kinsey, our Treasurer, by Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. Thank you for considering this request.
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Time change! Daylight Savings Time! We will fall back one hour this coming Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. Set your clocks around you accordingly.
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Events!
Nov. 7, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom! All Saints’ Day to be celebrated. Time change!
Nov. 14, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
Nov. 21, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom! Pledge Sunday! Reign of Christ Sunday.
Nov. 28, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom! First Sunday of Advent.
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Prayers of Celebration and Concern
We pray to the Creator of all creation:
· Safety and support for the over 54,000 refugees from Afghanistan being resettled across this country including the 150-200 evacuees arriving in the Portland area.
· Linda's friend June who has a lot of health problems.
· The family of Karen's sister-in-law Laurie whose father died of COVID.
· Thanksgiving for Christian and Brett's granddaughter Edie who turned three years old.
· People still suffering from COVID, waiting for booster shots, some who have died because of COVID, other countries.
· Thankful that young children, ages 5-11, can get COVID vaccines.
· That both infrastructure bills pass both Houses of the US Congress ASAP.
· For the quick passing of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in the very near future.
· Global climate action.
· Protection of voting rights rather than passing laws making it harder to vote.
· For friends of Lorinda and Ray who are battling cancer.
· Gun reform in the US.
· Reduction of gun violence in American cities
· We remember those who have died in the past year on this All Saints’ Day.
· For those recently elected to higher office Tuesday night.
· For the civil war in Ethiopia.
“God, in your love, attend our prayers…”
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Poem
For Those Who Walked With Us, by Jan Richardson
For those
Who walked with us,
This is a prayer.
For those
Who have gone ahead,
This is a blessing.
For those
Who touched and tended us,
Who lingered with us
While they lived,
This is a thanksgiving.
For those who journey still with us
In the shadows of awareness,
In the crevices of memory
In the landscape of our dreams,
This is a benediction.
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Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.