Dear Friends,

Christmas is a time for lighting candles. More than any other time candles lighted at Christmas seem to mean things for us in ways which don't even need an explanation. They have a language of their own which arrests our attention and directs our thoughts to spiritual concerns. The multicolored lights of the season, while attractive and striking, don't effect us in quite the same way as even the light of a single candle does.

I'm always drawn to the Prologue of John's Gospel and I read it several times during the Christmas season. It compares the coming of Christ into the flesh of the world as a light shining in the darkness. The Prologue proclaims that no matter how dark the human condition becomes, no matter how deeply into darkness we may ourselves be plunged, the light of God's hope will not be overcome. That light is there to sustain us and will always be there no matter what else happens. As John put it, "In him was life and the light was the life of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4-5)

Candles at Christmas represent the light of Christ in a way that no other kind of light is able to match. During our midnight Christmas Eve Service, near the end of the service, the congregation joins in the singing of that sublime carol, "Silent Night." Every worshiper has a candle, which the ministers light from the Christ Candle and pass it to each person along the aisle. The light is then passed to each person in the pew rows. During the singing of the third verse we each lift our lights above our heads to these words:

"Silent night, holy night, Son of God, loves pure light: radiant beams from they holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at thy birth , Jesus, Lord at thy birth."

It is one of my favorite, most spiritual, moments of the year and forces me once again to ponder Christ as the light of God, which will never leave us in total darkness. Christmas candles represent holiness and Christmas is, above all else, about the presence of holy light for all people

Howard Thurman, former dean of the B.U. Chapel, said:

"I will light candles this Christmas
Candles of joy, despite all sadness,
Candles of hope where despair keeps watch.
Candles of hope courage where fear is ever present,
Candles of peace for tempest tossed days,
Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens.
Candles of love to inspire all my living,
Candles that will burn all the year long."

I, too, shall light all those candles which have their source of light in the Christ Candle. I shall light them from that source for each of you and for our congregation. I shall take joy in that light for all of us, it will, as it has, sustain me and keep the darkness form having any final victory over the faithful spirit.

Christmas, a time for lighting candles. Let's light them for each other form God's holy light.

May the peace of Christ be with your at his birth.

Love,

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

CHURCH RECORD

Hospitalized: Gloria Johnson, Jordan Hospital.

In Memoriam: On December 14, 2004 Rev. Marks with Rev. Paul Sinn and Dan Spacek conducted a memorial service for Thelma Strassel in the church sanctuary. Thelma was our church secretary for thirty-seven years! We thank God for the exemplary life of our beloved Thelma!

THIS WEEK

Sunday,Dec.19: Morning Worship 10:00 a.m., Rev. Marks, preaching; Advent Candle Service will be a part of the morning worship; Women's Fellowship Bake Sale following worship.

Monday,Dec. 20: Aerobics, 9:15 a.m., Allerton Hall; Girl Scouts #1128, 3:30 p.m., Church House; Tiger Pack 47, 4:00 p.m., Church House (upstairs); Advent Study/Spirituality Group, 7pm, Allerton Hall (this will be the last class in the Advent series).

Tuesday, Dec. 21: The Winter Solstice-Winter Begins; Rev. Marks will be in the church office, 9:30-11:30 am; Aerobics, 6:30 pm.

Wednesday, Dec. 22: Aerobics, 9:15 a.m., Allerton Hall; Staff Meeting, 10:00 am; Brownie Troop #122, 4-5:30pm, Allerton Hall; Troop 47/Den 4, 6-7:30, Church House (up);Troop #47, 7pm, Church House; Choir Rehearsal 7:30 pm, sanctuary

Thursday, Dec. 23: Aerobics, 6:30pm, Allerton Hall.

Friday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve: Aerobics, 9:15 am, Allerton Hall;; Christmas Eve Family Service with Living Nativity in the sanctuary, 7pm; Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Holy Communion in the sanctuary, 11:30pm.

Saturday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day- Joy to the World!

NOTES:

MISSIONS AND OUTREACH
The Missions Committee thanks everyone who supported the annual Christmas dinner this year. We also express gratitude for the gifts of Barbara and Sheldon Peavey, Ken Heckman and Terry Runnels who guided us on a Journey to Bethlehem's Child through art, light, word and song.

The special offering on December 19th, entitled 2004 Christmas Fund, (formerly Veterans of the Cross) enables the United Church of Christ to provide a financial "safety net" for retired clergy in need. The funds received from the churches are administered by the Pension Board.

Overnights of Hospitality: This interfaith program to provide emergency housing for the homeless in Plymouth will begin December 19th. The Church of the Pilgrimage will be providing support in the following ways: volunteers for overnights (we have a growing number already and you will be called when needed), lunches on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, and laundry. If there are some new members who would like to be involved in this vital program, please call Meg Bross at 508-830-9745 or Janet Holmes at 508-746-7148.

Habitat for Humanity Fundraiser: Habitat pins and sweatshirts will be on sale in Allerton Hall during the coffee hours on Dec. 19th. Proceeds go toward Plymouth area housing.

Food for Church Pantries: The volunteers at the Central Warehouse in Plymouth thank all our church members who continue to fill the baskets each week with non-perishable foods for families in this area.

Women and Men In The Service: If you have a loved one serving in Iraq, please let the Missions & Outreach Committee know. We would like to extend support during these challenging times.

We thank the Missions and Outreach Committee for providing the church with a wonderful Christmas evening on December 12th. There was a warm feeling among people of all ages gathered in Allerton Hall. Gifts for children in need were collected. The food was excellent. The program by Barbara Peavy was magical. Ken Heckman's reflection's on several Christmas carols was much appreciated. Jody Lavigne and Marilyn Colburn added a nice touch with Christmas crafts for the Children. Thank You!

The dedication of the Habitat for Humanity new house on December 11th was very meaningful. The house now belongs to Richard and Amy Burton and their children. Rev. Marks baptized Amy and the children and he conducted the wedding service for Richard and Amy several years ago. The Burton children are now enrolled in our church school. Many of our Pilgrimage people participated in the construction of the house in many different ways. Rev. Marks took part in the dedication service. So when you drive by the house at the corner of South Street and Braley Lane, take pride in a job well done and be thankful for all our church people who had a role to play in it.

The 11th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast will be held 7:30-9:30am on Monday, January 17, 2005 at the Plymouth South High School in Plymouth. The guest speaker will be award-winning journalist Liz Walker. Ms. Walker is a news anchor for WBZ-TV news in Boston, and is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. Tickets purchased prior to the day of the Breakfast will cost $8 for students and $12 for adults. Adult tickets purchased at the door on the day of the event will cost $15. Tickets are available from Ken Heckman or Dan Spacek.

Correction --Beatrice Biira, who is a representative of Heifer Project and who has been at The Church of the Pilgrimage several times will be featured on 60 Minutes at 8pm on December 29th, not on the 20th at reported in last week's Herald.

The Pilgrimage Women's Fellowship will hold a Holiday Bake Sale after the church service on Sunday, December 19, 2004. Please consider picking up some cookies, square or pies for your holiday entertaining. All of the ladies of the Fellowship will be cooking up their favorites for sale. Keep us in mind and save yourself some time at this busy season of the year.

Pastor's Pasta Reminder: Our third annual Pasta sale will be held on Sunday, January 30, 2005. As we did last year, it will include a quart of pasta sauce, a pound of spaghetti, a loaf of Jenny's bread and cookies for dessert for a bargain price of $15. Mark you calendar and we will be taking orders during the month of January.

Christmas Pageant Participants-There is a rehearsal on December 19 form 11:30-1. Meet in the sanctuary.

No Confirmation Class: On December 19th due to the pageant rehearsal.

Junior High Fellowship: Dec. 19, 3-5 pm. Meet at the Church House for Ice Skating at Armstrong Arena.

Senior High Fellowship: Dec. 19, 6-8 pm. Get t2 Know U Games in Allerton Hall.

Excellent Gift : Hymnal dedications make an excellent gift. We are planning to dedicate gift hymnals the Sunday after Christmas, so there is still time to make these dedications, for a donation of $25. See Bill Harting, Louise Brown or call the church office.

Do you need a ride to church? In the rack opposite the Church Family bulletin board (in Allerton Hall) there are updated lists of volunteer drivers. Please take a list and contact one of the volunteers whenever you need a ride.

On December 17th the Marks's hosted the Capital Campaign Executive Committee at the Maybury Parsonage for a celebration of its excellent work on behalf of our congregation.

A Note of Thanks was received from the Plymouth Antiquarian Society for our contribution to a successful Christmas on North Street. They would like to express thanks to all who volunteered their time.

[The Board of Trustees would like to continue a tradition that started a few years ago. We would like to collect money form the congregation to give holiday bonuses to the Pastors, the Secretary and the Sexton. THIS IS A SECRET. Please see any board members at church or call the church secretary for telephone numbers. We would like to collect all monies before Christmas.]

Clerk - Lois Post; Moderator - Steven Triffletti; Treasurer - David Kegel; Collector - Thomas Mudgett;
Music Director - William B Richter; Organist - Chandler Gregg
Secretary - Shellie McCormack; Sexton - Tony Nightingale; World Mission Emphasis - Heifer Project International;
Church Building Telephone - (508) 747-1341.