Dear Friends,

I've really enjoyed the way the lectionary has walked us through Luke this past month. From the Good Samaritan, to Mary and Martha, to the disciples asking Jesus how to pray, the stories have been familiar, rich, and full of characters to whom we can readily relate. And they build on each other well, forming in total a kind of crash course on Christian discipleship. The stories instruct us how to act with love, how to be more aware of what is required in the ways we attend to others, and how to pray with a genuine heart.

One of the greatest joys and challenges I've found in preaching these texts is to discover nuances of meaning that shift and enrich my previous understanding. It is so exciting when that happens, in part because it reminds me of something someone (who?) said a long time ago. To paraphrase Rev. Robinson: "there is more truth and light to break forth" from these texts! This kind of surprise revelation occurs so often that I now look for moments of spiritual complacency as markers of God's impending adjustment of my attitude. When I think I know the whole of what something has to offer - whether it is a text, a moment, or a person - I try to step back and ask myself, "What am I missing? What surprise is before me that I'm simply unaware of?"

And while it's not always something spectacular that resides at the other end of these questions, at the very least they are an effective way to refocus awareness of the possibility of each moment - especially those moments that might otherwise be overlooked. Think of all the in between times that happen each day. These may be when you're on your way somewhere, or waiting in line, or otherwise not "doing" anything. We often don't ask much of these moments - they are just in the way until we get where we want to be. But if there's one message that has been consistent in this past month's Scripture readings, it's that when we open our hearts to an awareness of God in the unexpected, the mundane, and the in between moments, we discover that God graces every moment. God is always present and fresh and waiting to break in. It is our job to welcome God in.

In the coming month I look forward to many so-called boring, mundane, in between moments. The kind of moments that happen in between morning coffee and mid-day walks on the beach. Mundane moments like reading a book or taking a nap or weeding a garden. I will savor these moments as opportunities to dip my bucket into the well of God's living water. I pray that I will know God deeply in these moments, and be refreshed by God's Spirit in these times. And I pray that you will know God's refreshment in your moments also.

Love,

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

All Sunday Worship Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. The Order of Worship will be listed in the Bulletin, which will be distributed by the ushers. Crib Room care is available for infants and toddlers downstairs in the Mayflower Room during the Worship Hour.

There will be no regular Church School classes until fall. Younger children, 3rd grade and under, are invited to attend a Bible Story/Craft Hour downstairs in Allerton Hall following their dismissal from the worship service. Older children are to remain in worship.

Sunday, August 1, 2004
The Rev. Gary Marks will be preaching today.
Holy Communion will be a part of this morning's service.
Deacon: Davie Cowie
Special Music: Kelley DePasqua
The pulpit flowers are in loving memory of Barbara Burgess, given by The Flower Committee. Barbara cared for all the flowers at the Church by herself for 30 years.
Ushers: Meg and John Bross, Alice and Ken Heckman
Greeters: Amy Simpson and Judy Holmes

Sunday, August 8, 2004
The Rev. Gary Marks will be preaching today.
Deacon: David Cowie
Special Music: Ginny Davis and Nancy Morse
The pulpit flowers are in loving memory of Sarah Marks, Floyd Marks, and Boyd Mayhew, given by their family.
Ushers: Diane and Bill Harting
Greeters:

Sunday, August 15, 2004
The Rev. Gary Marks will be preaching today.
Deacon: David Cowie
Special Music:
The pulpit flowers are in loving memory of our parents, Margaret and Frank Preston and Edith and Wilbur Haynes, given by Bobbie and Pete Preston.
Ushers: Diane Cowie, Betsy Randall, Hildegard Schimpf
Greeters:

Sunday, August 22, 2004
The Rev. Gary Marks will be preaching today.
Deacon: David Cowie
Special Music:
The pulpit flowers are in memory of: OPEN*
Ushers: Sandie and David Moreland, Judy Mitchell, and
Bobbie Preston
Greeters:

Sunday, August 29, 2004
The Rev. Gary Marks will be preaching today.
Deacon: David Cowie
Special Music: Dave Peck
The pulpit flowers are in memory of: OPEN*
Ushers: Laura and Austin Curtin, Pat and Tom Mudgett
Greeters:

There will be no coffee hour during the month of August because of the floor renovations in Allerton Hall.

*If you would like to give memorial flowers on August 22 or 29,
please call the church office or Kathy Marks.

CHURCH RECORD

Weddings:
On June 26, 2004, Kelly Lavelle and Kevin Dunn were married in the sanctuary by Rev Marks.
On June 26, 2004, Kimberly Edwards and Neil Yarletts were married in the sanctuary by Rev. Marks.

Baptisms:
On June 27, 2004, Aubrey Anna Corbett, the daughter of Patricia (Mellman) and Randall Corbett, was baptized during the worship service.
On June 27, 2004, Timothy Matthew Richardson, the son of Elizabeth Carol (Foster) and Timothy Michael Richardson, was baptized during the worship service.
On July 4, 2004, Abraham Thomas Chiocca, the son of Maimuna (Umar) and Adam Eugene Chiocca, was baptized at 11:30, following the regular worship service.
On July 18, 2004, Lily Paige Ulvila, daughter of Linda (Lambert) and Eric Ulvila, was baptized during the worship service.
On July 25, 2004, Megan Elizabeth Banzi, daughter of Donna (Whitaker) and Donald Banzi, Jr., was baptized during the worship service.

In Memoriam:
On Friday, July 2, 2004 , Rev. Spacek conducted a graveside service at Vinehills Cemetery for Helen Sullivan..
On Saturday, July 10, 2004, Rev. Spacek conducted a funeral service for Gladys Prentice, a member of our Church.

NOTICES FOR AUGUST

If you are interested in becoming a member of The Church of the Pilgrimage, please speak to Rev. Marks or Rev. Spacek or phone the church office.

Please call the church office if you are aware of persons hospitalized or in need of pastoral care. It is especially important to let the ministers know about out-of-town hospitals. Thank you for your help.

Walter Drake is in Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, following surgery.

Please inform the church office of recent graduations, weddings, etc. We like to honor and keep track of our young people as they attain significant events in their lives. Let us know!

Birth of Son: Douglas and Tammy Coutts, 33 Hilltop Drive, Millis, MA 02054, announce the birth of son, Anthony Rocco Coutts, born July 24, 2004.

A Note of Thanks from Thelma Strassel to The Church Family for all the prayers, cards, notes, flowers, visits, and other expressions of love. I am still in Beverly Manor, and hearing from all of you is the best medicine ever! Thanks for remembering me. I miss church and all the fellowship.

Stewardship: The summer is upon us and there is typically a lower attendance during this period. So it is very important that you keep up with your pledge during these leaner months of the year. For those of us who have not yet pledged for the upcoming year, we ask you to look at all the good work that is happening and to join in and help support all the great things that we are doing in our church, our community and our world. I hope you are having a great summer. Sincerely, Thomas Healy

Can you believe it's August already?? The Harvest Fair will soon be here! Lots of people have been busy with the Fair preparations for months. If you haven't been involved and would like to help, please contact the Fair Chairman, Diana Budge

One of the important Fair Tables is the Drawing, which has proved to be a major fund-raising event. Tickets for the Drawing will go on sale in September - more on this at a later date. However, if you or your Company have anything that could be added to the list of prizes in the Drawing, please contact Dave Cowie (508-759-4499) during the month of August, so that it can be listed in the Fair advertising. Thank you for your consideration!

Permanent Church Secretary needed: The temporary secretary will be leaving on September 3. We are looking first in our church membership for someone to become the new permanent church secretary, starting August 30. If you are interested, please contact Debby Porter at 508-746-4109.

Your Delegates to our Massachusetts Conference of the UCC will be providing copies of the 6 resolutions passed in each of the following Heralds. The highlighted topic for August is the UCC Coffee Project. The 205th Annual Meeting approved a "Resolution calling for the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ to be a Fair Trade Conference." This resolution urges us to become involved with the UCC Coffee Project through the Equal Exchange Company. We have the opportunity to begin making a change in this Missions project over the summer by purchasing for our own consumption at home Equal Exchange coffees, teas and cocoas at Stop & Shop or Shaws. The Missions Committee will be reviewing our ability to purchase this coffee to use at Coffee Hour, but in the meantime, if you would like to purchase a 12 oz. Bag of drip grind coffee (regular, not decaffeinated) and donate it to Coffee Hour, please do so. For more information about this great company, please visit their website at www.equalexchange.com/interfaith/ucc.htm.

Attention Christian Education Committee and new teachers: There will be a kickoff meeting and orientation on Wednesday, August 25, at 7:00 p.m. in Allerton Hall (assuming the floor is finished).

Membership and Evangelism Committee Meeting will be August 24, 7:00 p.m., at the home of Amy Simpson.

Missions and Outreach Meeting will be Wednesday, September 8, 7:00 p.m., in Allerton Hall.

The Rotary Club of Plymouth is looking for host families for a male Japanese exchange student, age 16, for two three-month periods - early fall and spring. We urgently need a home beginning late August into November. Contact Verna Ross-Hoyt (508-224-9507) or Ken Heckman for additional information.

The Crib Room renovations have begun! Thank you to all who have helped in so many ways. We will be thinning out the current toys and furniture and replacing them with new items. We currently have a wish list of new, unused toys that Kellyanne's Memorial Fund will not cover at this time, as we have it allocated for larger expenses of carpentry and furniture over the summer. If anyone is out shopping this summer and would like to pick up one of these items, we would truly appreciate it!

Cars and trucks
Play food for the kitchen
Play pots and pans for the kitchen
Pretend steering wheel
Dress-up clothing

Remember to look for toys that are marked as safe for ages 2 years and under. Thank you so much in advance! If you have any questions, you may contact Julie Sears or Jenny Healy.

Balloons are NOT permitted in the Church House
The ceiling fans' motors have burned out TWICE as a result of a balloon interfering with the movement of the fan. Cost to replace a motor is around $450.
Any group not adhering to this policy will bear the cost of replacing the fan's motor, AND run the risk of having their building use request denied. If no one takes responsibility, then ALL groups using this building will share in the cost to replace the motors. Debby Porter, Chair, Board of Trustees

The Summer Sale is in full swing: Donations are still being accepted in the Church House for the Summer Sale. There are two sorting rooms - one for household goods and toys and one for clothing and linens. Remember that all donations should be in good condition or new. Our indoor sale is Monday- Friday mornings, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., and will be ending Wednesday, August 18.

Plymouth Super Summer Blood Drive - Monday, August 9, 12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Radisson Inn Plymouth Harbor. All donors will be eligible to enter a raffle to win a pair of Red Sox tickets. Complimentary t-shirt for all presenting donors! To schedule an appointment, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

The Plymouth Council on Aging is in dire need of people to drive some of our local elderly citizens to doctor appointments. These appointments are made in advance for the convenience of the drivers. Most senior citizens are transported to their appointments by our dial-ride busses; however, we do have clients who have difficulty in getting in and out of the bus, for a number of medical reasons,. Drivers will be given a small mileage stipend. Please consider volunteering a few hours each week or so to help us out.

We are also looking for an "early riser" who would be willing to drop off a dialysis patient for treatment in the Industrial Park on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, at 6:00 a.m. This is high priority as this patient has been having to take cabs for each treatment.

The Pilgrimage Herald will go back to the regular weekly publication schedule during the first week of September.

Office Hours for the summer: M-F, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Correction: The Board of Trustees needs 3 people to serve on the Board until the next annual meeting. Please contact Deborah Porter, Chair, Board of Trustees, or Steven Trifletti, Moderator, for further information. We would like to have these positions filled by the end of September.

Gifts of Stock - Correction to front page: Bear Stearns does not provide us with the name of the donor of the gift.

Reminder that Allerton Hall's floor will be refinished in August. We thank Hildegard Schimpf and her committee for generously donating the proceeds of their summer sale income to this industrious project. A great big "Thank You" from the Board of Trustees.

Thank you to all those who were ushers and greeters during July!

Letter from President & CEO of Heifer Project International

Dear Partners in Mission,

I recently heard someone make a distinction between being "grateful" and being "thankful." Gratefulness, he said, is an "aha" experience, a flash of realization that we are all knit together on this planet. In the very next moment, the fullness of that experience overflows into thankfulness.

Time and time again, I have seen the eyes of our project partners fill with gratitude when they tenderly pass on a gift of livestock in the "passing on the gift" ceremony. At that moment, the "aha" experience occurs. Many people are knit together - the farmer who has nurtured his goat or cow so that he might have enough to share with others, the new owner whose future stretches before him with untold potential - not least of all, you who so generously gave of your worldly goods so that others might have some of their own.

And so I would like to pass o n to you, on behalf of our project partners, their sincere thanks.

Sincerely,
Jo Luck
President and CEO
Heifer Project International

South Pond Chapel Hymn Sings Continue Through August 29, starting at 7:00 p.m. This summer, new stairs and a handicapped access ramp have been added to make it easier for everyone to enter the Chapel. The following area pastors will lead the services:

August 1: Rev. Mally Lloyd, Episcopal Church, Plymouth
August 8: Rev. Barbara Kathleen Welch, Kingston
August 15: Rev. William Fillebrowne, Chiltonville Congregational Church, Plymouth
August 22: Rev. Gary Marks, Church of the Pilgrimage, Plymouth
August 29: Rev. Dr. Peter Gomes, Harvard Memorial Chapel (Old Home Day)

Summer Music Series at Church of the Pilgrimage: Every Tuesday night at 8 p.m., plus one bonus Thursday concert:

August 3 Chamber Music Festival Concert, "The French Flute," with Paul Fried (flute) and Timothy Ehlen (piano)
August 6 Chamber Music Festival Concert, "Virtuoso Violin and Piano," with Joanna Janowski (violin and viola), Joanna Kurkowicz (violin), Jamie Fiste (cello), Laurien Laufman (cello), Timothy Ehlen (piano), Samir Golescu (piano). Tickets $9.
August 10 Chamber Music Festival Concert, with Piotr Janowski (violin), Joanna Kurkowicz (violin) and Samir Golescu (piano)
August 17 Highland Light Pipe Band
August 24 Katherine Robinson (soprano)
August 26 Richard Hill (organ)

COMING EVENTS

September Church House and Church Building "Clean-up Day"
October 30 Harvest Fair

Watch for Capital Campaign News

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