THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Sept. 19, 2021, Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, 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!
Thanks, one and all, for joining in the celebration of our 4-year anniversary of the Community of Pilgrims! We thoroughly enjoyed sharing our memorable stories with one another, and we have now stepped into year “4+.” Thank you, again and again, for your support, steadfastness and persistence, service, fellowship, education, love, gift of hospitality, and generosity of heart, mind, and body as we continue to love God and love neighbor on our pilgrimage of life.
The focus "Scripture" this week is Mark 9:30-37. I’m going to focus on this part, starting with vs. 33: “Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” What does that mean? I was just given this sermon illustration this morning as I ran to a nearby PCC market in Seattle to pick up a raspberry scone for mid-morning noshing. Next to my car, a mother was unbuckling her young daughter from her car seat in the mom’s station wagon. The mom was ever so careful to lift the girl carefully from the car seat, talking comforting words the entire time. I then saw two little braids bounding by the front of my car as the little girl cheerfully ran into the open, loving arms of the day care worker who worked at a nearby playschool. They squeezed each other tightly, and then the little girl skipped away to pre-school while the two women embraced and greeted one another with much affection for one another. Jesus was telling the disciples to be like the mom and the daycare worker with each other, eagerly and lovingly greeting one another with a genuine touch and sense of care. That’s what it means to be a “servant leader” and “great” in Christian communities of faith: by welcoming and living with each other with a sense of genuine affection, transparent, and with love, just as this child, mom, and caregiver showed me this morning. Join us this week as we talk about such servant leadership.
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Events!
Sept. 19, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
Sept. 26, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
Oct. 3, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
Oct. 10, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
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Prayers of Celebration and Concern
· The Community of Pilgrims as we celebrate our fourth anniversary and for more anniversaries ahead.
· Tom Letts and his wife Joelle whose son died unexpectedly last Saturday.
· The thousands of veterans who have died since 9-11.
· Roberta's friend Zeta who has been hospitalized for months following an auto accident and prayers she will be able to leave the hospital in another week.
· Deborah's friend's daughter Hannah hospitalized in Scotland following attempted suicide. May she stabilize and be able to move to a psychiatric hospital. Prayers for all people suffering from eating disorders.
· Karen's daughter Katie who will move into a sorority house next weekend and for Emily who just started high school.
· Safe travels for Chris as she flies home to upstate New York tomorrow.
· Civility in our country's politics as we address so many issues.
· Thanksgiving for the hospitality our community has shared.
· Christian's mother and sister, Iva and Yarrow Halstead, both living with breast cancer.
· Patty Turpin's mother who is in the hospital with kidney failure.
· Good results for Linda's upcoming cataract surgery.
· Linda's brother Gary who continues to suffer from Parkinson's Disease and thanksgiving that he and Linda were able to have a good visit recently.
· Thanksgiving that Chris is still part of the Community of Pilgrims
· Celebrations for Dayna and Luke who got married September 4th.
Birthday celebrations for Chris Dungan this coming Tuesday (Happy birthday, Chris).
“God, in your love, attend our prayers…”
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Poem
To the Light of September, by W. S. Merwin
When you are already here
you appear to be only
a name that tells of you
whether you are present or not
and for now it seems as though
you are still summer
still the high familiar
endless summer
yet with a glint
of bronze in the chill mornings
and the late yellow petals
of the mullein fluttering
on the stalks that lean
over their broken
shadows across the cracked ground
but they all know
that you have come
the seed heads of the sage
the whispering birds
with nowhere to hide you
to keep you for later
you
who fly with them
you who are neither
before nor after
you who arrive
with blue plums
that have fallen through the night
perfect in the dew.
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Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.