THIS SUNDAY: The Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, 4 pm, Transfiguration 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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Greetings, Community of Pilgrims!
This Sunday is that “hinge” Sunday I wrote about last week, in which we are now leaving this season of Epiphany, of the increasing light upon the nature of who is Jesus, into our time of Lent and Easter, a pilgrimage of life, in which we take a closer, deeper look into the movement and stages of our life-long pilgrimage. Gone during the next few weeks of Lent will be the word “Alleluia!” uttered in worship as an expression of rejoicing. We will not sing that word until Easter Sunday morning as we reflect on our storied lives in the grander narrative of God’s realm of love.
The story of Transfiguration in Luke's Gospel has a word in it that I’ve always liked in my studying and writing of pilgrimage: exodus, which is truly a pilgrimage term. Jesus tells his disciples, and the world, that he has set his feet to the direction of Jerusalem, which is where he will die (depart) and rise again. In Luke 9:28-43, there is this one line: “They appeared in glory and were speaking of his (Jesus’) departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (v. 31). The word for “departure” is the same word for “exodus,” a leaving; a mass migration in some contexts. After all, Moses was a figure of exodus from slavery to freedom in the “Promised Land;” Elijah was a figure of exodus by ascension to God without dying. And Jesus is a figure of exodus, in his death and subsequent resurrection. With these words spoken on the top of Mt. Tabor, Jesus now points his life, and plants his feet, towards his pilgrimage headed to Jerusalem. He should get there around the time of Passover, which is a celebration and remembrance of the exodus of God’s people when they left Egypt. Join us this Sunday as we discuss Jesus’ pilgrimage, and our pilgrimage with Christ’s Spirit in the world today.
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Service Project
Our Lenten/Easter Service Project 2022. From Kathy Fukuyama:
For the past several years, the Community of Pilgrims has donated to Human Solutions and SnowCap in East Multnomah County. We will continue to support these organizations and also support HomePlate Youth Services for this year's Lenten/Easter Donation. Please check out their website https://www.homeplateyouth.org. They operate two centers, one in Beaverton and one in Hillsboro, and they are Washington County's only non-profit provider of drop-in centers and street outreach for young people experiencing homelessness. Their immediate needs include:
· Athletic shoes, boots, and long-sleeve t shirts - new or gently-used
· Men's boxer shorts - new
· 2-person tents and tarps - new or gently-used
· High-protein snacks, individually wrapped
· Applesauce and fruit snacks, individually wrapped
We ask everyone to collect items from this list starting Ash Wednesday March 2nd and to drop them off at Kathy Fukuyama's house before Thursday April 14th. We hope to deliver everything to the Beaverton drop-in center on Good Friday, April 15th or the following week. Please contact Kathy if you have any questions and thank you for your support.
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Events!
Feb. 27, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
March 2, Ash Wednesday, 7:30-8:30 am, Ash and Dash at Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran Church.
March 6, First Sunday of Lent, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
March 13, Second Sunday of Lent, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
March 20, Third Sunday of Lent, 4 pm, Gather and Devotion on Zoom!
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Prayers of Celebration and Concern
We pray to the Creator of all creation:
· The people of Ukraine and peace in Ukraine. God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
· People in Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, the Sudan, Yemen, and other hot spots and war-torn areas around the world.
· Covid-19 rates are going down and the second variant is not as severe in OR.
· Happy Birthday to Karen and Lorinda.
· Traveling mercies for Linda's Portland children.
· Churches in the typical brick and mortar tradition as they figure out how to move forward and to build bridges with people.
· Strength for Karen as she starts eight days of training to become a back-up social worker.
· Bill who reports for jury duty this week.
· Traveling mercies for Christian who departs March 4th on a business trip to Europe.
· Linda's brother Gary who has moved from independent to assisted living.
· Cessation of truck convoys, which will needlessly hurt the economy and people’s lives.
· Voting rights.
· Stop “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida.
· Stop harassment of transgender children in TX by the TX government.
· Build Back Better legislation passes.
God in your love, attend our prayers. Amen.
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Poem
Transfiguration, by Malcolm Guite
For that one moment, ‘in and out of time’,
On that one mountain where all moments meet,
The daily veil that covers the sublime
In darkling glass fell dazzled at his feet.
There were no angels full of eyes and wings
Just living glory full of truth and grace.
The Love that dances at the heart of things
Shone out upon us from a human face
And to that light the light in us leaped up,
We felt it quicken somewhere deep within,
A sudden blaze of long-extinguished hope
Trembled and tingled through the tender skin.
Nor can this blackened sky, this darkened scar
Eclipse that glimpse of how things really are.
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Buen Camino! Pastors Brett & Karen Cornwell Fortlander.