THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, 4 pm, Celebration of Epiphany. 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.
_____
Dear Community of Pilgrims!
Merry Christmastide!
I’m writing this note to all of you on the fifth day of Christmas, otherwise known as the day of five gold rings (according to the song, “Twelve Days of Christmas”). I hope everyone had a good, safe, exciting, yet restful Christmas Day.
For the season of Christmastide, all twelve days, we celebrate the life of the Christ child, Jesus, Emmanuel, “God with us,” up until Epiphany, which is the day we follow in the tradition of giving gifts to one another (though we now do that over Christmas Day itself).
As many of you know, we are “deep” in the heart of holy days in the life of the church calendar, one day falling into and upon one another. Halloween quickly ran into All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, followed by the Reign of Christ Sunday (end of the church calendar), and into Advent for four weeks. Christmas, followed by Epiphany, which is then caught up in the Baptism of Jesus Sunday in the middle of Epiphany, which soon leads to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, then Easter… Phew!
We are going to celebrate Epiphany this coming Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, even though it falls on Jan. 6. How wonderfully weird it is to type “2022.” There are many aspects of this story found in Matthew 2:1-12 that I want us to focus on this coming Sunday. The first is the international travelers who made their way to Bethlehem. Throughout time, people have pointed to this part of the story and related it to the belief that the gift of the Christ child is for all people around the world, regardless of one’s nationality or ethnic background. Second, is the presence of evil in this world, in the person of Herod. And third, is the presence of good in this world, in the birth of the Christ child, God’s child, which overcomes the evil intent of Herod. And last: we are called to follow God, wherever God calls us, as pilgrims of the faith. With this idea of following a star, it has been part of my tradition to give out paper “stars” with words of intentions on them for 2022. I will randomly give out small, cut out stars to the various people who are gathered together on Sunday, with a word like, “hope,” “community,” “joy,” “light,” “love,” and “peace.” Hold on to these stars, and see how they are fulfilled or lived into in 2022 as we each follow a star For in the end, to quote Kate Compston in her poem for Epiphany, “I have only a beckoning star to follow.” Let us, like the Magi, follow the beckoning star of God.
**
THANK YOU! Thank you for the gift of your support of the Sa Da family, our refugee family from Myanmar that we chose to support during Advent-Christmas. Your collective response to the needs of this family was incredible.
_____
Events!
Jan. 2, 4 pm, Celebration of Epiphany! Holy Communion, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
Jan. 6, Epiphany!
Jan. 9, 4 pm, Baptism of Jesus Sunday! Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
Jan. 16, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
Jan. 23, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
____
Prayers of Celebration and Concern
We pray to the Creator of all creation:
· Families from Afghanistan where the country is facing famine and from Myanmar where civil war has spread throughout the country and for peace in these parts of the world.
· Peace in the world.
· The opportunity to be with the families we have adopted for holiday giving.
· Thoughtful consideration for families to stay healthy, strong, and still keep the hope and strength to continue on.
· Health and care workers who are the foundation of our health systems.
· Sherry, a friend of Roberta and Randy's, whose husband of 50 years died on Tuesday.
· Continued prayers for Scott Campbell who just received a bone marrow transplant as a last effort to stop his cancer. He has now been moved to the Mayo Clinic in MN for further medical services, because of a fungal infection.
· The mentally ill and those with addictions that they are able to get services.
· Friend Jim who lost his sister.
· Doctors, nurses, and all those caring for people.
· Friend whose husband Fred is in the hospital on a ventilator.
· People follow protocols for their own safety and the safety of others.
· Carol's sister Paula who is in hospice and doing fairly well, that she will be able to get through the Christmas season.
· Gratitude for people who show care for others by getting COVID vaccine and boosters and for wearing masks in public.
· All who are facing surgery and 'dire' diagnoses.
· All affected by mental illness.
“God, in your love, attend our prayers…”
_____
Poem
A Poem for Epiphany, by Kate Compston
O God,
who am I now?
Once, I was secure
in familiar territory
in my sense of belonging
unquestioning of
the norms of my culture
the assumptions built into my language
the values shared by my society.
But now you have called me out and away from home
and I do not know where you are leading.
I am empty, unsure, uncomfortable.
I have only a beckoning star to follow.
Journeying God,
pitch your tent with mine
so that I may not become deterred
by hardship, strangeness, doubt.
Show me the movement I must make
toward a wealth not dependent on possessions
toward a wisdom not based on books
toward a strength not bolstered by might
toward a God not confined to heaven
but scandalously earthed, poor, unrecognized…
Help me find myself
as I walk in others’ shoes.
____
Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.