Dear Friends,

Three summers ago Kathy and I stood in a tower built in the Middle Ages as a military installation in Ireland. The tower, square and with one room on each of several levels, was converted into a living/writing summer home by the great poet William Butler Yeats. His writing room was in the uppermost level of the tower, appropriately.

I was reminded of that experience when I came across a reference to a letter written by Yeats to a friend. In a way, Yeats spoke to his friend in terms which I find to describe a kind of desire which characterizes our age. I'll begin someplace other in the letter's observations than where he speaks of those desires which are quite human and which often dominate what most think about when desires are mentioned!

Yeats said that we are happy when for everything inside us there is an equivalent something outside us. One, he continued, should add the reverse of this thought. It is terrible to desire and not possess, and terrible to possess and not desire." (In The Norton Book of Friendship, p.561).

I find in this observation a kind of description of our own age and a fitting and apt image descriptive of the season of Advent. Advent is a religious desire, or longing, to have what we don't yet possess. It is a season when we focus upon the desires we have which, if satisfied, would bring wholeness to our lives. Advent is a time of preparing for God's entry into our lives which we in the church proclaim to have happened once in the birth of a child in Bethlehem. In that birth we boldly state and preach that we can be happy because for everything inside us of a spiritual nature has found an equivalent satisfaction in God's presence in that child outside us.

Yet, we also must admit that we are still full of a desire for hope which remains unsatisfied. We are not a happy age in history, are we? We still experience a desire, though often undefined, for something we surely do not possess. That is a terrible feeling!

Desire is a part of who we are, desire may, in fact, define us as human beings. Our faith appeals to our best and highest desires which are reflected in our dissatisfaction, if not out avert longings. Our faith reaches out to say to say that God has given us in Christ exactly what we need, but that we still don't possess it. God's gift in Christ is ever increasingly mixed into, and confused with, all the other desires which so dominate and define us.

Advent is a time to prepare our spirits for the birth in us of what God has already given so long ago. We may not, indeed cannot, possess the Christ, but we can during Advent try to make him the object of our highest desires. There is a happiness in making Christ the object of our desires because everything inside us may in him find something outside of us worthy of faith. Christ is the joy of human desiring which will take eternity to realize in full. Advent is a time to make ready for a birth long ago to be born in us.

Love,

© The Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, MA Inc., all rights reserved.

CHURCH RECORD

Hospitalized: Dorothy Shaw at the Jordan Hospital.

Recuperating at home after hospitalization, Richard Bramhall, Mahlon Walker.

Baptism:

On November 24, 2002, Rev. Marks baptized Brandon Kenneth Peterson, son of Norris and Kristen (Larsen) Peterson during the worship service.

In Memoriam:

On November 23, 2002, Rev. Marks conducted a memorial service in the sanctuary for Linda Berry. Linda's death brought a particular kind of sadness to Rev. Marks and Kathy. She was an active member of one of their early youth groups at The Church of the Pilgrimage.

THIS WEEK

Sunday, Dec. 1— Morning Worship 10:00 A.M., Rev. Marks Preaching; Advent Candle Service; Communion will be a party of the service. Reminder-Children's Service 10:00 A.M. in the Church House; there will be a brief meeting of the Memorial Fund in the sanctuary following the service. The Pilgrim Festival Chorus Concert, 4:00 P.M. in the Sanctuary.

Monday, Dec. 2— Dan's Office Hours 9:30-11:30 A.M.; Aerobics - 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.; Girl Scouts 6:00-7:30 P.M. Church House; Women's Fellowship Christmas Party, 6:00 P.M. in Allerton Hall, (see notes for more information).

Tuesday, Dec. 3--Rev. Marks' office hours 9:30-11:30 A.M.; Dan's office hours 1:00-3:00P.M; Aerobics-6:45 P.M.-7:45 P.M.-Allerton Hall.

Wednesday, Dec. 4— Aerobics - 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. Allerton Hall; Staff Meeting-10:00 A.M.; Dan's office hours 1:00-3:00 P.M.; Family Craft Night, 6:30 P.M. in Allerton Hall (see note); Troop 47 - 7:00-9:00 P.M. in the Church House; Cub Scout Pack 47 - 7:00-8:00 P.M. in the Church House; Choir Rehearsal - 7:30 P.M.

Thursday, Dec. 5— Dan's office hours 10:00 A.M.-Noon; Interfaith Council Meeting-Noon; Girl Scouts Tr. 1227-6:00-7:15 P.M. in the Church House; Aerobics-6:45 -7:45 P.M.; Church Council Meeting 7:30 P.M. in the Mayflower Room.

Friday, Dec. 6—Aerobics-9:00 A.M.-1:00 A. M.; Rev. Marks will not be in the church office this morning because of another commitment.

Saturday, Dec. 7-- Overeaters Anonymous- 9:30-11:30 A.M.-Church House..

PLEASE NOTE

The Moderator, Steve Triffletti, has appointed Mellicent Drake to fill an unexpired term on the Nominating Committee.

We thank Deaconess Nancy Stearns and Ruth Fry for providing us with a beautiful harvest table for our services during the Thanksgiving season.

We are grateful to our Missions Committee for making arrangements for last Sunday's S.E.R.R.V. Sale. We thank Betsy and John Minot who are the S.E.R.R.V. Sale representatives and who have been making beautiful items available to us for many years. It is a big job and we all appreciate all their dedicated work!

It was great to see Deacon Emeritus Gil Besse in worship last Sunday. He just can't miss Thanksgiving in Plymouth!

A number of people have now expressed an interest in becoming members of the church. Rev. Marks will lead three membership classes following morning worship, the first is scheduled for January 5, 2003. Please let Rev. Marks know of your interest, or call the church office to indicate your interest.

Usually there are increased requests for aid made through the ministers or church office in the weeks preceding Christmas. If you wish to help, you may make a donation to the Pastor's Discretionary Account.

Please remember any information you wish to be included in The Pilgrimage Herald must be submitted to the church office on the Monday prior to any given Sunday.

Please call the church office or let the ministers know if you or someone you know is presently or soon to be hospitalized. This information is especially important to receive in the case of out-of-town hospitalizations.

Gratitude from those who planned the Thanksgiving events, November 22-23, for the use of our sanctuary on the 22nd has been profusely expressed through Rev. Marks. Rev. Marks, in fact was the "prophesier" at the Pilgrim Service on that day. Rev. Marks was also a part of the Pilgrim's Progress.

We thank The Plymouth Antiquarian Society for providing Dan's Pilgrim outfit for our Thanksgiving Service on the 24th. He looked quite dashing for a Pilgrim!

Our Christmas Family Dinner-December 15th, 4:30 P.M. in Allerton Hall. Sign-up in Allerton Hall on December 1st and December 8th or call the church office by December 10th. This dinner is our gift to you. We ask that you please bring an unwrapped gift to be donated to the Children's Community Fund. Thank You!

Women's Fellowship Holiday Party-December 2nd at 6:00 P.M. in Allerton Hall. We will have a Yankee Swap. If you would like to participate, please bring a gift costing not more than $10.00 (joke gifts are okay). We will also have a potluck dinner. Persons whose last names begin with A-M please bring a main dish. N-Z please bring a salad or appetizer. If you have any questions, please call Marna Blomberg at (781) 826-2543.

Family Craft Night - Wednesday, December 4, 2002, 6:30 P.M. in Allerton Hall. Enjoy a family evening with a story, snack and a holiday craft project. Projects are $5.00 per child, designed for children ages 2-6 or 6 and up. Please specify which age child when registering. To register contact Stephanie Gray at (508) 830-6840 or msgray@adelphia.net.

2002 Living Nativity- Heifer International, Overlook Farm. Saturday, December 14th, 1 to 6:30 P.M. and Sunday, December 15th, 1 to 5:30 P.M. A live nativity, complete with the animals will be presented at the beginning of each hour in the barn (dress warmly). There will be an offering taken at the conclusion of each presentation of the nativity. Sleigh or hay rides ($1.00 per person) will be available. Heifer International is located at 216 Wachusett Street, Rutland, MA (508) 886-2221, overlook.farm@heifer.org, www.heifer.org.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth is seeking volunteers for gift wrapping and running the children's train at the Independence Mall in Kingston. The train will be running from December 15 to December 20, and gift wrapping will be December 14 and December 21. If you would like to volunteer for either of these events, please all Nancy Morse at (508) 746-5213. Thank you.

Thank you to the following for ushering during the month of November: Robin Briggs, Janet Homes, Martha Stearns, Kaki Walters, Bill and Diane Harting, Neil and Dottie Bottomley; Christopher and Heidi Harting, Keith and Vicki Sibley, Bob and Joanne Cole and Jerry and Debbie Chaskes.

Thank you to the following for volunteering to be Acolytes:
Christina Saunders, Carrisa Brown, Danielle Budge, Nicholas Balboni and Nick Tibbetts.

Greeters are needed for the month of January. Please call the church office to sign up!

Thank you to all who have volunteered to be greeters over the past few months!

Also, thank you Janet Holmes, Thelma Strassel, Betsy Randall, and Ruth Belcher my dedicated folding ladies! Pam McNicholas

Coming Events

Dec. 8 The Second Sunday in Advent, Dan Spacek preaching.

Dec.15 Christmas Family Dinner-See notes.

Clerk - Lois Post; Moderator - Steven Triffletti; Treasurer - David Kegel; Collector - Thomas Mudgett; Asst. Collector - Debbie Chaskes; Music Director - William B Richter; Secretary - Pam McNicholas; Sexton - Tony Nightingale; World Mission Emphasis - Heifer Project International; Church Building Telephone - (508) 747-1341.