Pilgrimage Herald

Pilgrimage Women's Fellowship: Please plan to come to HOBBY NIGHT to be held Monday, November 7th at 7pm in Allerton Hall. If you are able, please bring along a sample item that either you have made or someone you know has made for a show and tell. If your hobby, new or old, is one that you would like to teach to those in attendance, that would be great. If you are in need of a ride, please call Marna at 781-826-2543 or feel free to call with any questions you may have. We hope to see you there.

Appointments: Steve Triffletti, Moderator, has appointed Diana Budge to the Nominating Committee to fill an unexpired term due to resignation.

Membership Classes: A series of three Membership Classes has just concluded. If you are considering church membership, or wish information about it, please speak with Rev. Marks or phone the church office for information.

The Reverend Heather Moody: It is with great excitement that we await the arrival of our recently called Associate Minister, The Reverend. Heather Moody! Heather was ordained in Minnesota since her call to ministry at The Church of the Pilgrimage on September 25, 2005. She was ordained to Christian ministry in the U.C.C. on October 9, 2005. We congratulate her on that important milestone in her life. Heather will join us in full time service during the second week in November. We hope that by then she'll have a furnished office form which to begin her duties.

Rosa Parks: It has just been reported that Rosa Parks, a central figure of courage in the Civil Rights Movement, has passed this life at the age of 92 years. Rev. Marks reports that this resolute non-violent woman served as one of his guides in the still unfinished work of social justice for all people. Praise be to God for the life of Rosa Parks!

Wednesday Evening Prayer: Rev. Marks is resuming the Wednesday Evening Prayer gatherings from 7:00 to 7:30pm. The services usually follow simple contemporary Celtic Order for Evening Prayer. Though contemporary, these services reflect ancient Christian practices. Those attending may pray/reflect in silence or recall persons before God publicly. Those who have regularly attended these services have found them very helpful in their spiritual pilgrimages. Please feel free to join these prayer sessions.

The Membership & Evangelism wants to welcome Heather by filling her kitchen shelves with basic food staples. If you would like to bring canned goods, baking products, mixes, teas, crackers, cereal etc. we will have a basket for your contributions on Sunday, November 6th. If you would rather us shop for you, leave a small donation in the envelope in the basket.

PAC TV:
The airing of The Church of the Pilgrimage Services on PAC TV has been an important part of our ministry and outreach to the community. This is the opinion of your Membership and Evangelism Committee and we hope it is your opinion as well. We now have the Sunday 8am and 10pm time lots on PAC. But we need someone, maybe you, to help tape or edit these Church Services.

Tom Healy needs help! He can't do it himself. Do you want to learn a new skill? PAC will train you. You could tape, edit or both. We need help! If you can spare 2-3 hours on a weekday to edit or 11/2 hours to tape Sunday Services, please see Kathy Marks, chair of Membership and Evangelism. You wouldn't need to do both and probably only 1 or 2 times a month. Thanks for considering this form of ministry to our town.

Installation Services: The Rev. Sarah Clark will be installed as the minister of First Parish, Unitarian Universalist in a service at the church at 3pm on November 6th. The Rev. Jeffrey Jones will be installed as minister of The First Baptist Church in a service at the church at 7pm on that same day. All are invited to attend these celebrations.

Gift of a Hymnal: The gift of a hymnal dedication is a unique honor to give and to receive. A number of our new hymnals do not yet have dedicatory bookplates. A dedication in honor of, or in memory of, a loved one is available for the cost of a $25 gift to the church. In addition, there is a small supply of uncirculated hymnals available for purchase, also $25. See Bill Harting or Louise Brown for more information.


garymarks@8townsquare.org	October 30 , 2005	office@8townsquare.org
Volume LXXVII		No. 32
Dear Friends, Recently I have noticed a significant change in the messages printed on those little strips of paper found in fortune cookies one gets at the end of a meal in Chinese restaurants. I eat at such restaurants fairly frequently, often on Mondays when I try to get some time off. It used to be that fortune cookies contained some forecast about a future event, hence the name "fortune." Nowadays, however, fortune cookies have written on their inner little white strips an often catchy bit of philosophy or a generalized moral teaching. Almost universally, too, such strips (often stuck to the crescent formed dough) have a "Lucky Number" printed on them. The most recent message I was served after a meal of "spicy shrimp with onions in tomato sauce" also gave my Lucky Number, 4,11,31,27,49,42. I have never bought a lottery ticket, but the sequence of numbers suggests to me that they are related to a lottery. (I honestly have never bought a lottery ticket. Maybe that's why I never win)! On the backside of the "philosophy" cookie piece of paper is also a new feature, "Learn Chinese." I read all the messages in such cookies, including the "Learn Chinese" information. Did you know that "fish" is a translation of "Yu"? Actually, I like the messages I've found in some recent cookies. The last one was in the form of a question: "Do you see difficulty behind every opportunity, or opportunity behind every difficulty?" I've thought a great deal about that "cookie question" since lunch yesterday, a great deal, indeed! It does make a great deal of difference in the quality of my life the way I answer that question for myself. In August, for instance, I was "down in the dumps" because I didn't feel I was making rapid enough recovery form the "big" surgery I'd had on July 20th. I related this to a valued friend and pastor. He wisely counseled me not to think about that date in August, but to think about what progress I'd made since July 20th. That was sage advice. I am in life and ministry generally , though not always, able to see opportunity in most difficulties, thanks be to God and to people who care for me! Perhaps I've been positively challenged by the "message cookie" because I recall what my oft quoted grandfather used continually to remind his family in the midst of difficulty: "Life is good, if you don't weaken." Generally speaking it is a good thing to train oneself through prayer and self-discipline to look for opportunities behind difficulties than vice versa. May God grant that we focus upon opportunities so as to prevent us from weakening in our resolve in life. Love, © The Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, MA Inc., all rights reserved.
Sunday, October 30, 2005- Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Morning Worship: 10:00am, Rev. Gary L. Marks preaching; New Member Class in the Pastor's Study in the church building, 11:30am-12:30pm; Daylight Savings Time Ends. Greeters: Al & Linda Saunders. (Cliff & Laura Sampson were greeters on October 23rd). Flowers: In loving memory of Curtis E. Layfayette and Mrs. and Mrs. Samuel H. Christie. Given by Katherine & Christine plus one baptism.
CHURCH RECORD Wedding: On October 22, 2005, Adam C. Tedeschi and Laura Lynn Raynard were married in the sanctuary. Hospitalized: Kay Budd at the Jordan Hospital.
Stop the presses!!!! The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that we have received a Temporary Building Occupancy Permit for the new church house. We are organizing a moving day. Please call to office if you are able to help. Also, look forward to notices about the Grand Opening Celebration planned for the near future. HARVEST FAIR Saturday, October 29th 10am - 2pm In the New Church House We have (AGAIN) changed the location of the Harvest Fair! Since we received a temporary building occupancy permit, we decided to hold the fair in the new church house building as we have done in the past. The luncheon will still be held in Allerton Hall, but the fair tables will be in the Church House. We hope to see you there!
THIS WEEK Mon., Oct. 31: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am; Brownies and Girl Scouts, Allerton Hall, 4-7pm; Pilgrim Festival Chorus Rehearsal, Sanctuary, 7-10pm. Tue. Nov. 1: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 6:30pm; Advisory Board Meeting, 7:00pm; Stewardship Committee Meeting, 7:15pm. Wed, Nov. 2: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am; Girl Scouts and Daisy Troops, Allerton Hall, 3:30-6pm; Evening Prayer, Sanctuary 7-7:30pm; Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary, 7:30pm. Thurs,Nov. 3: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 6:30pm; Wedding Rehearsal, Sanctuary, 6:30pm; PFC Rehearsal, Sanctuary, 7:30-10pm. Fri., Nov. 4: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am Sat., Nov. 5: Wedding, Sanctuary, 5:30pm; Pilgrim Festival Chorus Concert, Sanctuary, 8-10pm.
MISSIONS AND OUTREACH NEWS-- UNICEF: UNICEF boxes are available at the Missions and Outreach table this Sunday for anyone who wishes to take one. SERRV SALE: Please save the date: November 13th for this not-for-profit sale, marketing beautifully handcrafted items from the developing world. John and Elizabeth Minott are an American Baptist minister and his wife who give their time to this ministry. Monday Meals of Hospitality: The Monday Meals of Hospitality Program, serving people in need in our community, will begin again on November 7th. To serve on a team some Mondays between 12:00-1:00pm, please call coordinator, Diane Flood (508-209-0266). The Greater Plymouth Food Warehouse: Please contribute cereal and fruit this week. Pilgrimage Women's Fellowship: Please plan to come to HOBBY NIGHT to be held Monday, November 7th at 7pm in Allerton Hall. If you are able, please bring along a sample item that either you have made or someone you know has made for a show and tell. If your hobby, new or old, is one that you would like to teach to those in attendance, that would be great. If you are in need of a ride, please call Marna at 781-826-2543 or feel free to call with any questions you may have. We hope to see you there. Appointments: Steve Triffletti, Moderator, has appointed Diana Budge to the Nominating Committee to fill an unexpired term due to resignation. Membership Classes: A series of three Membership Classes has just concluded. If you are considering church membership, or wish information about it, please speak with Rev. Marks or phone the church office for information. The Reverend Heather Moody: It is with great excitement that we await the arrival of our recently called Associate Minister, The Reverend. Heather Moody! Heather was ordained in Minnesota since her call to ministry at The Church of the Pilgrimage on September 25, 2005. She was ordained to Christian ministry in the U.C.C. on October 9, 2005. We congratulate her on that important milestone in her life. Heather will join us in full time service during the second week in November. We hope that by then she'll have a furnished office form which to begin her duties. Rosa Parks: It has just been reported that Rosa Parks, a central figure of courage in the Civil Rights Movement, has passed this life at the age of 92 years. Rev. Marks reports that this resolute non-violent woman served as one of his guides in the still unfinished work of social justice for all people. Praise be to God for the life of Rosa Parks! Wednesday Evening Prayer: Rev. Marks is resuming the Wednesday Evening Prayer gatherings from 7:00 to 7:30pm. The services usually follow simple contemporary Celtic Order for Evening Prayer. Though contemporary, these services reflect ancient Christian practices. Those attending may pray/reflect in silence or recall persons before God publicly. Those who have regularly attended these services have found them very helpful in their spiritual pilgrimages. Please feel free to join these prayer sessions. The Membership & Evangelism wants to welcome Heather by filling her kitchen shelves with basic food staples. If you would like to bring canned goods, baking products, mixes, teas, crackers, cereal etc. we will have a basket for your contributions on Sunday, November 6th. If you would rather us shop for you, leave a small donation in the envelope in the basket. PAC TV: The airing of The Church of the Pilgrimage Services on PAC TV has been an important part of our ministry and outreach to the community. This is the opinion of your Membership and Evangelism Committee and we hope it is your opinion as well. We now have the Sunday 8am and 10pm time lots on PAC. But we need someone, maybe you, to help tape or edit these Church Services. Tom Healy needs help! He can't do it himself. Do you want to learn a new skill? PAC will train you. You could tape, edit or both. We need help! If you can spare 2-3 hours on a weekday to edit or 11/2 hours to tape Sunday Services, please see Kathy Marks, chair of Membership and Evangelism. You wouldn't need to do both and probably only 1 or 2 times a month. Thanks for considering this form of ministry to our town. Installation Services: The Rev. Sarah Clark will be installed as the minister of First Parish, Unitarian Universalist in a service at the church at 3pm on November 6th. The Rev. Jeffrey Jones will be installed as minister of The First Baptist Church in a service at the church at 7pm on that same day. All are invited to attend these celebrations. Gift of a Hymnal: The gift of a hymnal dedication is a unique honor to give and to receive. A number of our new hymnals do not yet have dedicatory bookplates. A dedication in honor of, or in memory of, a loved one is available for the cost of a $25 gift to the church. In addition, there is a small supply of uncirculated hymnals available for purchase, also $25. See Bill Harting or Louise Brown for more information.
PILGRIM ASSOCIATION Massachusetts Conference-United Church of Christ At the request of the North Community Church in Marshfield Hills, Massachusetts, the Pilgrim Association you are invited to attend the Ordination into Christian Ministry of Gregory Baker at North Community Church in Marshfield Hills 114 Old Main Street Sunday, November 27th at 3pm Refreshments will be served following the ordination.

Clerk - Lois Post; Moderator - Steven Triffletti; Treasurer - David Kegel; Collector - Debra Richters 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.