Pilgrimage Herald

Sunday, January 9, 2005

Morning Worship, 10:00 am , Rev. Gary L. Marks, preaching.

Deacon of the Month: Dave Moreland.

Altar Flowers: The flowers from Sunday, January 2nd are in loving memory of Anne Patenaude Vaughn and our parents, Eldred and Peg Stacy and Mrs. & Mrs. Kenneth O. Clarke. Given by Hector and Jean Patenaude. The flowers for Sunday, January 9th are in loving memory of Kathy Manson, beloved wife, mother and friend.

Notice from Board of Trustees Chair: It is imperative that the alarm in both the Church House and Church Building be set if you are the last person out. No exceptions. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Membership Classes: If you are interested in church membership, please let Rev. Marks know or phone the church office. There will be a series of three classes of one hour each held on Sundays following morning worship (11:30am-12:30pm). The first class will be held on January 23rd, then January 30, and February 6th. Childcare will be provided during the classes.

Prayer Group: The Wednesday Evening Prayer Group is continuing to meet regularly, though there will be some Wednesdays when it will not meet. Those dates will be announced on the prior Sunday during worship.

This brief prayer service generally follows the format set out in Celtic Daily Prayer and is adjusted to the seasons of the church year. It is a time of prayer, reflection, meditation and includes Scripture readings and readings which are intended to stimulate those activities. There is space for personal and open prayer should that be a need.

About then people have attended these meetings which will be referred to as Evening Prayer or Vespers in the future. If you feel a need for such an opportunity, do feel free to join us.

Meeting of the Nominating Committee: There will be a meeting of the Nominating Committee on Sunday, January 16th after the worship service. The meeting will be held in the Pastor's Study in the Church Building.

Thank You! We would like to take this opportunity to thank the congregation for the Christmas bonus we received. It was very thoughtful and greatly appreciated. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! Sincerely, Gary, Dan, Tony and Shellie

Pledges for Fiscal Year 2005
Needed to date: $92,864.50
($3,571.71/week)
F/Y 2005 Total Pledge Receipts received to date: $75,176.74
As of 12/26/04 -$17,687.76
Please keep your pledges up to date, so that we can meet our overall operating needs!
Thank you,
Jonathan Porter, Assistant Treasurer


garymarks@8townsquare.org danspacek@8townsquare.org	January 9 , 2005	office@8townsquare.org
Volume LXXVII		No. 2
Dear Friends, The horror of the Tsunami in Southeast Asia has dominated the news for more than a week as I write this letter. The devastation is so vast, the human loss and suffering so great that it defies description. The loss of life alone is placed at nearly 150,000 persons, according to reports I've heard. Thousands are missing. I heard one reporter at the scene say that the devastation was many times worse than has been shown or described on television. I cannot find words to suggest the magnitude of the need. It has been difficult for me personally to fathom the full compass of the Tsunami, as I'm sure it is for most of you. As time goes by, however, it is beginning to sink in to me that the devastation and loss deserves the designation as being of "biblical proportions." That phrase is sometimes employed as a means of comparing a contemporary event with devastations described in the Bible, especially The Old Testament. The tragedy is so enormous that the news media, so often give to hyperbole in describing much lesser tragedies, is a at a loss to communicate the breadth of tsunami catastrophe. There is almost nothing of a positive nature which can be said as the result of the tsunami. It does, however, serve as an example of the common humanity we all share which transcends racial, cultural, ethnic differences among us. We are all a part of the human family. A tragedy of this dimension should allow us to see beyond human differences and division to the basic nature of our humanity. It should also humble us when we give importance to circumstances which are trivial in comparison to what has befallen our sisters and brothers in Southeast Asia. I do hope that our faith in God will stimulate both sympathy and generosity among us. At the center of our faith is the belief that God in Christ entered into our human condition and suffered in an often uncanny and cruel world. I remember seeing a bumper sticker years ago which I now adapt to fit the situation of tsunami victims: God is alive and suffering in Southeast Asia. There is likely to be little gained from asking why such horrid things happen to people. There is much to be gained by concentrating on our God who in the Christ has been described as our "fellow sufferer." Let us be in prayer and poised to act in whatever ways we can as we contemplate the ill-begotten fate which has befallen members of our common human family. Let us recall, too, that; "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5) Love, © The Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, MA Inc., all rights reserved.
Sunday, January 9, 2005 Morning Worship, 10:00 am , Rev. Gary L. Marks, preaching. Deacon of the Month: Dave Moreland. Altar Flowers: The flowers from Sunday, January 2nd are in loving memory of Anne Patenaude Vaughn and our parents, Eldred and Peg Stacy and Mrs. & Mrs. Kenneth O. Clarke. Given by Hector and Jean Patenaude. The flowers for Sunday, January 9th are in loving memory of Kathy Manson, beloved wife, mother and friend. Notice from Board of Trustees Chair: It is imperative that the alarm in both the Church House and Church Building be set if you are the last person out. No exceptions. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Membership Classes: If you are interested in church membership, please let Rev. Marks know or phone the church office. There will be a series of three classes of one hour each held on Sundays following morning worship (11:30am-12:30pm). The first class will be held on January 23rd, then January 30, and February 6th. Childcare will be provided during the classes. Prayer Group: The Wednesday Evening Prayer Group is continuing to meet regularly, though there will be some Wednesdays when it will not meet. Those dates will be announced on the prior Sunday during worship. This brief prayer service generally follows the format set out in Celtic Daily Prayer and is adjusted to the seasons of the church year. It is a time of prayer, reflection, meditation and includes Scripture readings and readings which are intended to stimulate those activities. There is space for personal and open prayer should that be a need. About then people have attended these meetings which will be referred to as Evening Prayer or Vespers in the future. If you feel a need for such an opportunity, do feel free to join us. Meeting of the Nominating Committee: There will be a meeting of the Nominating Committee on Sunday, January 16th after the worship service. The meeting will be held in the Pastor's Study in the Church Building. Thank You! We would like to take this opportunity to thank the congregation for the Christmas bonus we received. It was very thoughtful and greatly appreciated. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! Sincerely, Gary, Dan, Tony and Shellie Pledges for Fiscal Year 2005 Needed to date: $92,864.50 ($3,571.71/week) F/Y 2005 Total Pledge Receipts received to date: $75,176.74 As of 12/26/04 -$17,687.76 Please keep your pledges up to date, so that we can meet our overall operating needs! Thank you, Jonathan Porter, Assistant Treasurer
CHURCH RECORD
THIS WEEK Sunday,Jan 9.: Morning Worship 10:00 a.m., Rev. Marks, preaching: Cherub Choir Rehearsal, following worship. Monday, Jan 10.: 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); Pilgrim Festival Choir Rehearsal, 7-10pm, Sanctuary. Tuesday, Jan. 11: Rev. Marks will conduct a worship service at the Newfield House at 10:30am. He will be in the office following the service. Aerobics, 6:30 pm; Allerton Hall. Wednesday, Jan. 12:: Aerobics, 9:15 a.m., Allerton Hall; Staff Meeting, 10:00 am; Brownie Troop #122, 4-5:30pm, Allerton Hall; Music Committee Meeting, 6:30pm, Sanctuary; Troop 47/Den 4, 6-7:30, Church House (up);Troop #47, 7pm, Church House; Prayer Group, 7pm, Sanctuary; Choir Rehearsal 7:30 pm, sanctuary Thursday, Jan.13: Aerobics, 6:30pm, Allerton Hall; Membership Committee Meeting, 7pm, Amy Simpson's House. Friday, Jan. 14: Aerobics, 9:15 am, Allerton Hall; Rev. Marks will be in the church office, 9:30-11:30am; Guild, 1pm, Allerton Hall. Saturday, Jan 15: Wedding, 3:30pm, Sanctuary; Eagle Scout Ceremony, 5-9pm, Sanctuary and Allerton Hall.
NOTES: MISSIONS AND OUTREACH Overnights of Hospitality: The interfaith program to provide emergency housing to the homeless men in Plymouth is now in its third successful week. People from The Church of the Pilgrimage a laundry service and many will be volunteering for overnights as needed. The next training session for volunteers will be held at First Parish Church on Sunday, January 23rd at 7:30pm. Please call Meg Bross at 508-830-9745 or Janet Holmes at 508-746-7148 if you would like to be involved. NEXT MISSIONS COMMITTEE MEETING: January 19th at 6:30pm in the Church House. TSUNAMI RELIEF: You may wish to make a donation to victims of the horrific Tsunami in Southeast Asia through the Wider Church Ministries of The United Church of Christ. The United Church has already made use of One Great Hour of Sharing gifts to aid victims of the monumental disaster. You may wish to channel your donations through the U.C.C. which has always been a leader in times of human suffering and need. Donations may be made to the national U.C.C. office at: Wider Church Ministries, United Church of Christ, 700 East Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, or online at www.ucc.org/disaster. 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 Prayer Breakfast is sponsored by the Plymouth Area Interfaith Clergy Association. Tickets are $8 for students, $12 for adults. We hope to have a large delegation from The Church of the Pilgrimage at the breakfast. Liz Walker of regional television fame will be the featured speaker. Student essays and scholarships will be awarded. Please contact Dan Spacek, Rev. Marks or call the church office for tickets. If any middle school or high school student attends the meeting, The Church of the Pilgrimage will pay for the ticket. From the Membership & Evangelism Committee: On January 23rd after church, the M & E Committee will have a Chicken Soup for the Soul luncheon in honor of the new members. We will be making the soup and beverages, but we are asking A-M people to bring a plate of sandwiches to serve 8 and N-Z to bring desserts. All are invited. Thank you for helping. 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. The Women's Guild: The Women's Guild meet on Friday, January 14 with a program hosted by Eileen Ganem and Lillian Knowles. Report from the Board of Trustees: The Board of Trustees would like to thank the Congregation for their generous contributions towards the Christmas gifts to the Pastors, the Church Secretary and the Church Sexton. A total of $2,291 was donated for these thoughtful presents. The Board approved the purchase of a folding machine for the Church office. The cost of the machine, $575.00, came out of the Penny Drive Restricted fund. The machine will help to streamline the folding of bulletins and mailings. Of course, this machine could not possibly replace the "Folding Committee" which helps to put out the Herald in a timely manner. Please see Shellie if you are in need of the machine's services. Attention All Youth in the 6th Grade and Older! Come to the Hip-Hop dance class in Allerton Hall on January 16 from 3-5 pm. This is a special youth fellowship event that will be led by our very own Amanda Singer and Emily Harrington. Dancing ability not required. Just bring your willingness to have fun and Amanda and Emily will teach you the rest!
Coming Events: Jan. 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day-Church Office Closed Jan. 18 Board of Trustees in Church House, 7pm. Jan. 25 Advisory Board in Church House, 7pm.
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.