Dear Friends,

The great Swiss Reformer, John Calvin, once said that the human mind is a permanent factory of idols. He meant that we are always prone to give ultimate significance to things which are far less than God. In other words, everyone has something to which they give their allegiance in a final way. That which demands our allegiance, that which is the most important thing to us in life, is, in effect, our god. That is what the Bible and John Calvin name as idolatry.

I have also noted that the human mind is constant in its manufacture of excuses. We are ever trying to cover ourselves when we have either failed in some way, or when we find justifications for our excesses. I am very good at making excuses and I don't feel at all lonely in making them.

Even though I'll not be preparing a sermon for January 26th, I do look ahead each week to the Lectionary readings. Actually, I was looking ahead to the suggested readings for February 2nd when I will be preaching when I noticed that the story of Jonah is one possible text for January 26th. I love the story of Jonah, maybe because I have traits in common with him, and I do not mean to suggest that I, like Jonah, have been swallowed by a big fish and lived to tell about it!

No, Jonah was an excuse maker. He was often found trying to avoid the call of God, yet despite his excuses God was able to use him anyway. I am increasingly convinced that if, God can't use excuse makers to proclaim God's Word, then God would have none of us to use for that purpose!

This reminds me of a list of excuses that a group of middle management people said they would employ if they were ever caught sleeping at their desks. Here are the top five things they would say if they were caught.

(5) They told me at the blood bank that this might happen.
(4) Whew! I must have left the top off the cleaning fluid, you got here just in time!
(3) I wasn't sleeping. I was meditating on the vision statement and envisioning a new paradigm.
(2) I was testing my keyboard for drool resistance.
(1) "....in Jesus' name. Amen."

Sometimes the excuses we make for not pursuing the ways of God are no more sophisticated than those listed above about being asleep at the desk. I won't give a list of excuses I've heard over the years for why some don't attend worship! Actually, they are not much worse than the excuses Jonah gave in an attempt to avoid the call of God.

The point is, when God's work needs to be done God isn't all that concerned with our excuses. God keeps trying to get all of us to do God's work. Let us, as a person and as a church, realize that God sees through our excuses, forgives us for making them, and get on with the redemptive work to which God calls us all.

Love,

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

Morning Worship-10:00 A.M. Daniel Spacek Interim, Associate Pastor, preaching.

The Pulpit Flowers are in loving memory of Gerda and Wadsworth Savery given by the family.

Greeters: Arlene Axford and Bea Roberge.

The Children will attend Church School following the Time for Teaching.

All are invited to join us for a special Missions Luncheon following service.

CHURCH RECORD

Hospitalized: Pat Harper, The Newton/Wellesley Hospital and Ruth Thom as Mass. General Hospital.

Baptism:
On January 19, 2003 Harrison John Lassige, son of Dennis and Holly (MacLeod) Lassige, was baptized during the worship service.

THIS WEEK

Sunday, Jan. 26—Dan Spacek will be preaching. Missions/Outreach Committee Luncheon following worship in Allerton Hall. All are invited, whether or not you have signed up. Our guests will be Rev. Karl and Jan Whiteman who are missionaries serving in The Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshal Islands through the U.C.C. through our churches Wider Mission sponsorship.

Monday, Jan. 27— Aerobics 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.; Girl Scouts 6:00-7:30 P.M. Church House.

Tuesday, Jan. 28-- Rev. Marks office hours, 9:30-11:30 A.M.; Dan's office hours 1:00-3:00P.M; Advisory Board Meeting-7:00 in the Mayflower Room.

Wednesday, Jan. 29— 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; 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, Jan. 30— Dan's Office Hours 1:00-3:00 P.M.; GS Troop 1227-6:00-7:15 Church House; Aerobics-6:45 P.M.-7:45 P.M.

Friday, Jan. 31—Rev. Mark's Office Hours, 9:30 A.M.-11:30 A.M.; Aerobics-9:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M.

Saturday, Feb. 1-- Overeaters Anonymous- 9:30-11:30 A.M.-Church House.

PLEASE NOTE

Please call the church office or let the ministers know if you or someone you know is presently or soon to be hospitalized or in need of pastoral care. It is especially important to inform the ministers of those hospitalized in out-of-town hospitals. Please call, too, if you are aware of any situations for which pastoral attention would be helpful.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast held at Plymouth South High School on January 20th was a marvelous gathering! A significant part of the event is the awarding certificates for pictures relating to Rev. King, essays written on themes drawn from his ministry and scholarships award to those who reflect Rev. King's vision in one way or another. All the winters were special, but I'll mention two who are a part of the Pilgrimage family. Meghan Saunders was the 9th Grade essay winner. Janal Montagna who was in our church school as a young child was the 10th Grade essay winner.

Thanks to the Plymouth Interfaith Clergy Association for sponsoring this moving event. It was great to have nineteen Pilgrimage people at the Breakfast, nine of whom were young people!

Rev. Marks thanks the members of boards and committees who spoke so well to our New Member Class on January 19.

Rev. Marks is away on January 26, but will return to the pulpit on February 2nd.

Pilgrim District Women's Meeting-Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:30 A.M. gathering; Meeting 10 A.M.-1:00 P.M. Luncheon $5.00. Speakers Debra Moore and Rev. Heather Kinnear-"Women's Spirituality". For reservations and information call Janet Brust (781)-447-4052 by Friday, January 14, 2003.

Help! Hold these dates, March 15-16. The choir is looking for host families to house college students from the University of Connecticut for one overnight stay here in Plymouth. These students, including Jonathan Richter, are members of Concert Choir at the university. They will be participating in our morning worship service and presenting a concert on Sunday afternoon. If you would like to host one or more students please see me in church or contact me at home. Thanks. Linda Kegel

Greeters for Sunday Morning Services are needed! Please call Pam in the church office to learn of an upcoming Sunday which needs greeters. This is a good way to meet and greet old friends and new comers to the church. Currently, greeters are needed for February 9, 16 and 23!

Coffee Hour -we still need volunteers to prepare for Sunday morning Coffee Hours. There is a sign-up sheet in Allerton Hall. If you have never hosted a Coffee Hour, there are many people who will explain the procedures. These events are important to our church's social life, so please give us a hand.

It is up to the Chairs of boards and committees to inform the office of meeting times and places. Information should be given to the church office on Monday prior to the week when a meeting or event is planned. This holds for any news item you may wish to have placed in the Herald.

Coming Events

Feb. 2: Scout Sunday-Troop 47 will greet, usher and provide our coffee hour!; Reception of new members and service of Holy Communion during the worship service. The Nominating Committee Meeting will meet at 11:30 in the Mayflower Room.

Feb. 4: Stewardship Committee Meeting, 7:00 P.M. in the Mayflower Room.

Feb. 12: Rev. Marks will attend a meeting at The Mass. Conference Center in Framingham.

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.