Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship, Feb. 10, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: Feb. 10, 2019, 4-6 pm, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, 1905 NE 45thAve., Portland, OR 97213; Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

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Dear Followers, Searching Ones, Unexpectedly Daring Ones, Family and Friends,

Yes, you read that correctly: “Unexpectedly Daring Ones.” The Community of Pilgrims is comprised of an unexpectedly daring group of people, with the audacity to strike out and start something new—namely, a new Christian faith community—in one of the least religious cities in the USA: Portland, OR. We are either daft, faithful, or a mixture of both. But that is what the unexpected God in Christ brings to us daily: an opportunity to do something that seems daft to the world, but is faithful unto God. That’s, at least, what I’m drawing from this week’s Gospel reading from Luke (Luke 5:1-11). It is the story of these people who fish—namely Simon, James, and John—who have had no luck going fishing one day. Frustrated, with little to show from their efforts after fishing all night, Jesus (who is in the boat and just finished preaching to the crowd), instructs his doubtful, beleaguered disciples to go out into the deeper parts of the lake. There, where Jesus told them to go, they found so much fish that they needed other people who fish to help them with the catch, because their nets were stretching and tearing apart because of the amazing amount of fish they were hauling into their nets. Simon—the one who always seems to doubt first, and then believe—begs Jesus to leave him because of Simon’s shame and sense of disgrace. In that moment, maybe Jesus shot Simon a knowing wink and simply said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for from here on you will be catching people!” And while Simon probably continued to fish, he also became well-known for fishing for people, for followers, of the Pilgrim God. Heck: we, today, are part of Simon Peter’s catch. And in turn, we are called to reach out and share the good news with others about what God in Christ is doing in our world today as we strive for justice, practice loving kindness, in our humbling pilgrimage with God. Join us this week as we explore this story from Luke in relationship to our story of creating a new faith community, and be prepared to go to the “deep waters” of the City of Roses.

***

On a separate note, we are in the news of the Presbytery of the Cascades.  News of our being awarded an investment grant is in today’s Cascades Connections.  Go to the end of the email, and there we are! Share the news with others, and invite them to join us some Sunday, and join us often! 

https://mailchi.mp/cascadespresbytery/cascades-connections-thnibxvcgy-586625?e=63889e4a6c

***

About snow and Community of Pilgrims: I, Brett, will send out an email and FaceBook blast on Sunday late morning (11:00 am) if it looks like we are not meeting or meeting. Either way, be on the look-out for a posting on FaceBook or an email. Thanks!

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Events!

Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presby. Church;

Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, Pastor Brett preaches at First UMC, Eugene;

Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, Pastor Brett preaches at First UMC, Seattle;

Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

Sunday, March 3, 2019, Pastor Brett preaches at Christ UMC in Cedar Hills;

Sunday, March 3, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

Sunday, March 10, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

Sunday, March 17, 2019, Gresham’s Women’s Emergency Shelter (Times TBA);

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Requests

* Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

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Prayer Concerns and Celebrations

·     Prayers for those who do not have a home and live on the city streets, starving, in the middle of this winter season;

·     Prayers for those we know who are in the hospital or rehabilitations center and healing;

·     Prayers for those who are addicted, abused, and lonely;

·     Prayers for peace in the world, especially in the war-torn areas of Yemen and Syria;

·     Prayers for those seeking asylum and sanctuary anywhere in the world;

·     Prayers for justice wherever there is injustice in this world.

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Poem

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

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Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims, Feb. 3, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: Feb. 3, 2019, 2:00-4:30 pm, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, Bach Cantata Choir Concert; Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

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Dear Pilgrims, Wayfarers, Sojourners and Music Lovers,

Greetings on another sunny January day in the rainy, gray city of Portland!

One of the lectionary readings this coming Sunday is 1 Cor. 13:1-13, in which Paul writes about love. Many of us have heard it read at many weddings and other love-centered occasions in our life as a church and our personal lives. It is appropriate at weddings, because it reminds us of the miracle that is being manifest before us: two people in love (with eros, philia, and agape love all blended together), recognizing what brought and will keep them together in the years to come, in good times and hard moments, sickness and health…well, you know the rest: love. The writer Marilynne Robinson wrote this in her book, Gilead: "Love is holy because it is like grace--the worthiness of its object is never really what matters."

Recognizing and celebrating this “thing” called love, especially with Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, a slight change of plans for this Sunday: music!  Join Community of Pilgrims at the Oregon Bach Cantata Choir Concert at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church at 2:00 pm to 4:30, and bring a friend or family member!  It will be over before the Super Bowl is over. Of course, J. S. Bach loved God with all his being, and showed his love for God by composing and playing music:"I play the notes as they are written but it is God who makes the music." Invite other friends and family members to join us at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church this Sunday afternoon (Feb. 3)!  Here’s a link to their webpage for more information: http://www.bachcantatachoir.org 

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Events!

Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, Music! Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, 2-4:30 pm;

Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, Pastor Brett preaching at Trinity UMC, Eugene, 10 am;

Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presby. Church;

Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, Pastor Brett preaches at First UMC, Eugene;

Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, Pastor Brett preaches at First UMC, Seattle;

Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

Sunday, March 3, 2019, Pastor Brett preaches at Christ UMC in Cedar Hills;

Sunday, March 3, 2019, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park PCUSA;

____

Requests

* Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Dailyby Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

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Prayer Concerns and Celebrations

·Kathy's friend Beverly who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

·Linda's brother Gary who also has Parkinson's.

·Quinn, the little girl in Los Angeles we have been praying for, who started her second round of stem cell therapy. Her family is quarantined in the hospital for a month because she developed sepsis the last time she had this therapy.

·Clementine, 6-year-old daughter of a Methodist minister, who suffered a brain hemorrhage and is recovering well at St. Vincent's Hospital.

·Federal workers who have returned to work.

·Ric and Jo Ann's friend Ken Miller who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer yet maintains a positive attitude.

·Ric and Jo Ann going to Guatemala in February.

·Donald, that we may get through this mess.

·People in the U.K. going through the chaos of Brexit.

·Children in Yemen, Syria, at the wall, lost in our legal system, and separated from their parents.

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Poem

The Stillness of the World Before Bach, by Lars Gustafsson

There must have been a world before 
the Trio Sonata in D, a world before the A minor Partita, 
but what kind of a world? 
A Europe of vast empty spaces, unresounding, 
everywhere unawakened instruments 
where the Musical Offering, the Well-tempered Clavier 
never passed across the keys. 
Isolated churches 
where the soprano-line of the Passion 
never in helpless love twined round 
the gentler movements of the flute, 
broad soft landscapes 
where nothing breaks the stillness 
but old woodcutters' axes, 
the healthy barking of strong dogs in winter 
and, like a bell, skates biting into fresh ice; 
the swallows whirring through summer air, 
the shell resounding at the child's ear 
and nowhere Bach nowhere Bach 
the world in a skater's silence before Bach. 

____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.comRev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims, Jan. 6, 2019

THIS SUNDAY: Jan. 6, 2019, 4-6 pm, 1828 SW Terrace DR., Portland, OR 97201(Home of Arlena Barnes and Bill Kinsey) Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

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Dear Coddiwomplers, Saunterers, Flaneurs, Friends, and Family members,

As I write this email note, it is the 10th day of Christmastide, and according to the old song, this is the day with “10 Lords a’ Leaping.” As I spy a Christmas tree still up here and there among the households in Portland and Seattle—signs of traditionalists here and there—I am reminded that Christmas does not come to an end until Jan. 5.

Then, on Jan. 6th: Happy Epiphany! Scripture focus is on Matthew 2:1-12: the story of the Magi visiting the Christ child. In the South, this was known as “Old Christmas,” because, in 1582, the inefficient and inaccurate Julian calendar was replaced with the Gregorian calendar by Catholic European countries. Protestant Europe kept the old Julian calendar for another 200 years, as a protest movement against the then-Pope. In 1752, everyone in Europe finally changed to the Gregorian calendar. However, news of this change didn’t come to the American South until well after 1752, where they still celebrated Christmas on Jan. 6 rather than Dec. 25.

Regardless of whether or not we call it Epiphany or Old Christmas, this is the day in the life of the Church when we recognize the pilgrimage of the Magi or Wise Men from other parts of the world outside of Israel, who first stopped and visited a frightened and insecure “King” Herod on their pilgrimage, bringing gifts to the Holy Child in Bethlehem. The parallels with our world today are quite remarkable: insecure and frightened leadership among world leaders; the largest forced migration of people around the world; with our eyes looking down as we both try to make sense of the world today and hold on to hope. What the Magi remind us to do, even today, is to look up at the star, to get perspective as to our place and situation in the world, and remembering the presence of the God who loves us still, even and especially today.

As we begin 2019 in earnest, this is my prayer: that on our pilgrimage of faith as a Community of Pilgrims, we follow God’s created-star before us, and also the examples of the living Christ with us, who accompanies us, ever-motivated to move forward by the Spirit within us, as we welcome all who are seeking a community of hope, faith, and love. Christmastide blessings, Pastor Brett

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Events!

Sunday, Jan. 6, 2018, Epiphany! 4-6 pm Gathering and Worship will be at the home of Arlena Barnes and Bill Kinsey, 1828 SW Terrace DR., Portland, OR 97201.

Sunday, Jan. 13, 2018, Baptism of the Lord Sunday, Rose City Park Presby. Church;

Sunday, Jan. 20, 2018, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presby. Church;

Sunday, Jan. 27, 2018, Pastor Brett preaching at 1st Presbyterian Church, Salem;

Sunday, Jan. 27, 2018, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presby. Church.

____

Requests

* It isn’t too late to Pledge! Attached you will find a Pledge Form. Feel free to bring it with you this Sunday!

* Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper On

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Poem

The Journey of the Magi, by T. S. Eliot

A cold coming we had of it,

Just the worst time of the year

For a journey, and such a long journey:

The ways deep and the weather sharp,

The very dead of winter.'

And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory,

Lying down in the melting snow.

There were times we regretted

The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,

And the silken girls bringing sherbet.

Then the camel men cursing and grumbling

and running away, and wanting their liquor and women,

And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,

And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly

And the villages dirty and charging high prices:

A hard time we had of it.

At the end we preferred to travel all night,

Sleeping in snatches,

With the voices singing in our ears, saying

That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,

Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;

With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,

And three trees on the low sky,

And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.

Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,

Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,

And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.

But there was no information, and so we continued

And arriving at evening, not a moment too soon

Finding the place; it was (you might say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,

And I would do it again, but set down

This set down

This: were we led all that way for

Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly

We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,

But had thought they were different; this Birth was

Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.

We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,

But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,

With an alien people clutching their gods.

I should be glad of another death.

____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims, Dec. 30, 2018

THIS SUNDAY: Dec. 30, 2018, 10 am-12 noon, 3531 SW 57th Ave., Portland, OR 97221 (Moholt's home). Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

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Happy Christmastide, Community of Pilgrims members, family, and friends,

What a joyous time we had together on the Fourth Sunday of Advent/Christmas Eve gathering and worship! Following the Reverse Advent food gathering project, we brought together enough items for 10 boxes of food, with two boxes going to families of people from the deaf community, and the rest of the boxes going to the Women’s Shelter-Human Solutions. This is the note we received from Lisa Frack of the Women’s Shelter: “Great to meet you this evening at the Gresham Women’s Shelter. THANK YOU and the Community of Pilgrims Presbyterian Fellowship for the generous and helpful donation of food. Love the concept of reverse advent :-) ‘Tis the Season! We would love to connect you with more opportunities to volunteer and partner with Human Solutions when/if you are ready. We are doing exciting work in the community and partners are a key piece. Happy Holidays!” Well done, Community of Pilgrims! Thank you for your generosity and thinking of others in this time of gift-giving. Our celebration of Christmastide continues this Sunday morning, Dec. 30, 2018, at Lorinda and Ray Moholt’s home for a beautiful time together over breakfast and the Lord’s Supper! Join us from 10 am to 12 noon at 3531 SW 57th Ave., Portland, OR 97221. Email me if you have any questions or want to bring something for our brunch together. Happy Christmastide, all! And thank you!

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Events!

Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, 10:00 am, Breakfast and Worship, Moholt’s home (see above for address);

Sunday, Jan. 6, 2018, Epiphany! 4-6 pm Gathering and Worship will be at the home of Arlena Barnes and Bill Kinsey, 1828 SW Terrace Dr., Portland, OR 97201.

Sunday, Jan. 13, 2018, Baptism of the Lord Sunday, Rose City Park Presby. Church;

Sunday, Jan. 20, 2018, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presby. Church;

Sunday, Jan. 27, 2018, Pastor Brett preaching at 1st Presbyterian Church, Salem;

Sunday, Jan. 27, 2018, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presby. Church.

____

Requests

* It isn’t too late to Pledge! Attached you will find a Pledge Form. Feel free to bring it with you this Sunday!

* Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One.

_____

Poem

“From Waiting to Wonder” by Daniel Berrigan

(This is an incredibly powerful prayer/poem to read and reflect upon in these trying times)

It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss—

This is true: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction:

This is true: I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word…

This is true: For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil who seek to rule the world—

This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the church, before we can be peacemakers.

This is true: I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young shall see visions, and your old shall dream dreams.

It is not true that our hopes for the liberation of humankind, of justice, of human dignity, of peace are not meant for this earth and for this history—

This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

So let us move from Advent to Christmas with hope,

even hope against hope.

Let us see visions of love and peace and justice.

Let us affirm with humility, with faith, with courage:

Jesus Christ—the Life of the world.

____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims, Dec. 23, 2018

THIS SUNDAY: Dec. 23, 2018, 4 p.m. Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel. 1907 NE 45th Avenue – Portland, OR. Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com

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Dear Movers, Shakers, and those who are Slouching Towards Bethlehem,

This Friday, Dec. 21st, is Winter’s Solstice, in which the 21st is the longest day of darkness and shortest of light, with the 22nd heralding a change afoot as we start to see more light from that day forward until June and Summer's Solstice. Sunday, Dec. 23rd, is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, in which the Gospel text is Luke 1:39-55, which includes Mary’s song that we know as “the Magnificat” (meaning “magnify” in Latin), in which change is afoot. While I grew up with Mary--humble, meek, and mild, the silent one in the creche scene, the holy womb of God, the young 15 year old woman who is scared and compliant--the Magnificat reveals a person who is not silent in this Jewish-Christian story. This is the longest speech spoken by a woman in the Bible. And she speaks of a change not to come, but change that is afoot in the present, and ongoing: “God has shown strength with God’s arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. God has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that these words are “the most passionate, the wildest, one might even say the most revolutionary hymn ever sung.” Countries like India, Guatemala, and Argentina have outright banned the Magnificat from being recited in liturgy or in public. Come this Sunday and let us explore the power of Mary’s song and how it has changed lives in the past, present, and future, as descendants of Abraham and Sarah as we slouch towards Bethlehem. Change is afoot!

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Events!

Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, 4-6 pm: 4th Sunday of Advent and Our Christmas Eve Service, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park. We will bring our boxes of food from our Advent gathering at this time for a blessing as we bring food to the Women’s Shelter of Human Solutions, Portland, OR.

Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, 10:00 am, Breakfast and Worship, Moholt’s home,

Sunday, Jan. 6, 2018, Epiphany! 4-6 pm Gathering and Worship at the home of Arlena Barnes and Bill Kinsey,

Sunday, Jan. 13, 2018, Baptism of the Lord Sunday, Rose City Park Presby. Church;

Sunday, Jan. 20, 2018, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presby. Church;

Sunday, Jan. 27, 2018, Pastor Brett preaching at 1st Presbyterian Church, Salem;

Sunday, Jan. 27, 2018, Gathering and Worship, Rose City Park Presby. Church.

____

Requests

*Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One.

_____

Poem

A Winter’s Solstice Prayer, by Edward Hayes

The dark shadow of space leans over us…

We are mindful that the darkness of greed, exploitation, and hatred

Also lengthens its shadow over our small planet Earth.

As our ancestors feared death and evil and all the dark powers of winter,

We fear that the darkness of war, discrimination, and selfishness may doom us and our plant to an eternal winter.

May we find hope in the lights we have kindled on this sacred night,

Hope in one another and in all who form the web-work of peace and justice that spans the world.

In the heart of every person on this Earth burns the spark of luminous goodness;

I no heart is there total darkness.

May we who have celebrated this winter solstice,

By our lives and service, by our prayers and love,

Call forth from one another the light and the love that is hidden in every heart.

Amen.

____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims, Dec. 9, 2018

THIS SUNDAY: Dec. 9, 2018, 4 p.m. Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel. 1907 NE 45th Avenue – Portland, OR.Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com 
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Dear Advent Wanderers, Sojourners, Pilgrims One and All,

In this season of Advent of waiting, we, the Community of Pilgrims, received an early Christmas gift. A $50,000 Investment Grant! The Presbytery of the Cascades and the 1001 New Worship Community folks in the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church, USA, provided financial support for the ongoing practice of worship and prayer, education and discipleship, service and fellowship of the Community of Pilgrims, as we follow Jesus and embrace all. We received $25,000 from the Presbytery of the Cascades New Ministry Team and $25,000 from the Presbyterian Church (USA), equaling $50,000 for the next 18 months, beginning in Jan. 1, 2019. Along with this, we have applied for a Health Insurance Grant from both bodies, equaling $3,000 to cover a small portion of Pastor Brett’s health care. Like I wrote above, it is an early Christmas gift. So, let us sing a song of thanks to God, grateful for the support, encouragement of the Spirit in the lives of others, and let us move forward as we continue to follow Jesus, the Pilgrim God, as we welcome and embrace all who are seeking a loving community of faith not only in this Advent season, but throughout the year, and years to come!
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Events!

Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, 4-6 pm Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park;
Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, 4-6 pm Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park;
Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, 4-6 pm Our Christmas Eve Service, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park. We will bring our boxes of food from our Advent gathering at this time for a blessing as we bring food to the people of Human Solutions, Portland, OR (See Reverse Advent Calendar attachment for what to bring re: boxes of food).
Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, 10:00 am, Breakfast and Worship, Moholt’s home. Please be sure to have turned in your 2019 Pledge Card by Dec. 30, 2018 (see attached for card to print out);
Sunday, Jan. 6, 2018, Epiphany! 4-6 pm Gathering and Worship at the home of Arlena Barnes and Bill Kinsey,
____

Requests
*Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!
* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!
* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One.

_____

Poem

Lines for Winter, by Mark Strand

Tell yourself
as it gets cold and gray falls from the air
that you will go on
walking, hearing
the same tune no matter where
you find yourself—
inside the dome of dark
or under the cracking white
of the moon's gaze in a valley of snow.
Tonight as it gets cold
tell yourself
what you know which is nothing
but the tune your bones play
as you keep going. And you will be able
for once to lie down under the small fire
of winter stars.
And if it happens that you cannot
go on or turn back
and you find yourself
where you will be at the end,
tell yourself
in that final flowing of cold through your limbs
that you love what you are.

____

Buen Camino!
Pastors Brett & Chris
Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, CoP, Dec. 2, 2018

THIS SUNDAY: Dec. 2, 2018, 4 p.m. Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel. 1907 NE 45th Avenue – Portland, OR. Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com 

Dear Advent Pilgrims!

Here we go! And we are off! Our new year as a Fellowship, part of the universal Church, has begun! We have switched our readings from Mark to Luke as we follow the Revised Common Lectionary. And coming up first in our pilgrimage of faith is the first Sunday of Advent, in which we light the candle of hope.

The Scripture focus is Jeremiah 33:14-16. Six hundred years before Jesus’ birth, the people of Israel were carried off to exile in Babylon, after many warnings to do justice, practice loving kindness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). As one can imagine, the future prospects were not bright. Yet Jeremiah the prophet speaks to the people of Israel a word of hope even in the midst of despair and destruction. It is a hope that even dwells deep in the hearts, bodies, and minds of the people of God. It is a hope that is stirring that they—and we—may not be aware of quite yet or at times when we are overwhelmed by the gloom of the moment. It is said by many in the Church that Advent is not only a time of waiting, filled with hope, as we await the celebration of the birth of the embodiment of hope, the Christ-child. The writer Edward Hays calls Advent a “winter training camp for those who desire peace.” Join us this Sunday as we explore and discuss in what ways hope is present amidst the brokenness of this world.

In being hope for the world, I also want to call your attention to two of the attachments: 1) the Reverse Advent Calendar, which is how we have chosen to celebrate Advent this year as a Community of Pilgrims; and 2) Pledge Cards for time, talent, and financial contributions to the growth of the Community of Pilgrims. Your support in sharing your time, talent, and financial contribution made it possible for us to exist, let alone flourish, this past year, making a difference in so many lives. Thank you! Let us be a light of hope for the world, following Jesus and embracing all, as we continue to use the gifts given to us to spread the love of God in the world today. We will collect these Pledge Cards this Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, as our gift of hope, so bring the cards with you! Or email them to Bill Kinsey, our Treasurer, whose email address is part of this email.
_____

Events!

Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, First Sunday of Advent! Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel;
Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park;
Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park;
Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, Our Christmas Eve Service, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park;
Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, Breakfast and Worship, Moholt’s home, Time TBD;
Sunday, Jan. 6, 2018, Epiphany! Pastor Brett preaching at First Presbyterian Church, Salem.
Sunday, Jan. 6, 2018, Epiphany! Gathering and Worship, place TBD!
____

Requests

*Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!
* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!
* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One.
_____

Poem

December, by Michael Miller

I want to be a passenger
in your car again
and shut my eyes
while you sit at the wheel,

awake and assured
in your own private world,
seeing all the lines
on the road ahead,

down a long stretch
of empty highway
without any other
faces in sight.

I want to be a passenger
in your car again
and put my life back
in your hands.
____

Buen Camino!
Pastors Brett & Chris
Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Community of Pilgrims Newsletter, Nov. 25, 2018

THIS SUNDAY: Nov. 25, 2018, 4 p.m. Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel. 1907 NE 45th Avenue – Portland, OR.Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com 

_____

Dear Pilgrims,

With Thanksgiving before us all, we are reminded of pilgrims on a pilgrimage in the 1600s. Funny thing about the name of our Fellowship: I remember being asked (tongue in cheek) if we were but a group of people who liked to re-enact the early settlers called “Pilgrims.” The name “Pilgrim” came from one of the settlers, William Bradford, in which the settlers were first called “Old Comers” but Bradford called the name to “Saints” and “Pilgrims.” 

As a Community of Pilgrims, let us remember those who are still seeking a homeland and home among the 68.5 million refugees who are roaming around the earth on our Thanksgiving. The caravan crisis along our southern border continues on Thanksgiving Day and beyond, as does the Syrian crisis, along with the civil war in Yemen, and other hot spots around the world.  As we give thanks to God for the love of family and friends alike, let us also be mindful of those who are without such assurance of love and life, and dedicate ourselves to making a difference in their lives in the coming year. In the name of Jesus, the Pilgrim God we pray. Amen.

_____

Events!

Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018, the Reign of Christ Sunday! Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel;

Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, First Sunday of Advent! Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel.

Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park

Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park

Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, Our Christmas Eve Service, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park

____

Requests

*Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!

* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One. 

____

Prayer Concerns and Celebrations

·      Prayers of thanksgiving for Bill Kinsey’s good report on his heart;

·      Prayers for Chuck White’s health;

·      Prayers for those who are roaming the world as refugees this day;

·      Prayers for traveling mercies who are on the road;

·      Prayers for those without family and friends this Thanksgiving;

_____

Poem

Letting Go, by Meister Eckhart

I don’t like the dark.

I’d rather be clothed

Than naked.

Yet You tell me

I must let go of all that 

Clothes me—

My joys and fears

My worries and even

My imaginings—

And give myself

To the dark emptiness

Where You wait

To be born in me.

_____

Buen Camino!

Pastors Brett & Chris

Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com 

Newsletter of the Community of Pilgrims Nov. 18, 2018

Dear Wanderers, Searchers, Bicyclists, Unicyclists, Stilt Walkers, Friends, and Family members,

Hard to imagine, but we are coming to the end of our church calendar! Next Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018, is The Reign of Christ Sunday, or our way of saying “Happy New Year” in the life of the Church. This is followed by the first Sunday of Advent on Dec. 2, 2018, and off we begin with a new year on the Church calendar.

The focus Scripture this week is Hebrews 10:25: “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” This verse is encouraging to those of us in the Community of Pilgrims, as modeled by Benedictine communities, in which we are called to be an intentional Christian community of faith. There are two things that are being said here: first, don’t neglect to get together with each other. The second? To “provoke” or encourage one another with love and good deeds. Sometimes, acts or deeds of love are more powerful than words. Yet what is most powerful about this instruction is the sense of how mutual it all is. In other words, we are to love one another, through the practice of good deeds with one another, as we encourage or “provoke” one another in acts of love. What a lovely charge to Christian communities of faith. May we practice this not only weekly, but daily.

_____

Events!

Sunday, Nov. 18, 10:30 am, Pastor Brett will be preaching at First UMC in Seattle, WA;
Sunday, Nov. 18, 4 pm, Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR, Thanksgiving Memory Bags.
Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018, the Reign of Christ Sunday! Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel;
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, First Sunday of Advent! Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel
____

Requests

*Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!
* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!
* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One.
____

Poem

In November, by Lisal Mueller

Outside the house the wind is howling 
and the trees are creaking horribly. 
This is an old story 
with its old beginning, 
as I lay me down to sleep. 
But when I wake up, sunlight 
has taken over the room. 
You have already made the coffee 
and the radio brings us music 
from a confident age. In the paper 
bad news is set in distant places. 
Whatever was bound to happen 
in my story did not happen. 
But I know there are rules that cannot be broken. 
Perhaps a name was changed. 
A small mistake. Perhaps 
a woman I do not know 
is facing the day with the heavy heart 
that, by all rights, should have been mine.
_____

Buen Camino!
Pastors Brett & Chris
Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

Newsletter, Community of Pilgrims, Nov. 11, 2018

Nov. 11, 2018, 4 p.m. Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church 1907 NE 45th Avenue – Portland, OR.Questions? Contact Pastor Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com 

_____

Dear Moms, Dads, Aunts, Uncles, Siblings, Cousins, Nieces, Nephews, In-Laws and Out-Laws, and Family of Choice!

I write this note to you from an easy chair in Hudson, NH, where my granddaughter’s dad, Scott, is at work; mom Adrianne is taking a nap; granddaughter Edie is in a bouncy chair sound asleep, and for a moment, all is quiet and at peace in a household that grew significantly in one week’s time.

This week’s Scripture focus is Mark 12:38-44. There are two parts to this living parable. Part One has to do with a loud display of giving and serving. Jesus warns about the self-serving Scribes who will be condemned for their simultaneous love for “show” and cynical lack of mercy—specifically to widows. Part Two is about the well-known story of the widow’s mite or offering. It is the story of the widow who gave all that she had into the treasury, while all others gave from their abundance. We will explore in what ways the widow’s offering suggests that faithful giving and faithful living, which is not for the sake of the recipient, but rather for the sake of the life of the giver. Join us this Sunday as we explore this act of faithfulness.

_____

Events!

Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9-10, Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of the Cascades, Columbia Presbyterian Church, Vancouver, WA.
Sunday, Nov. 11, 10:30 am, Brett preaching at First Presby. Church, Woodburn, OR;
Sunday, Nov. 11, 4 pm, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presby. Church’s Chapel.
Sunday, Nov. 18, 10:30 am, Pastor Brett will be preaching at First UMC in Seattle, WA;
Sunday, Nov. 18, 4 pm, Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR, Thanksgiving Memory Bags.
Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018, Gathering and Worship at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church’s Chapel;
____

Requests
*Regarding the t-shirts: Please pick up your t-shirt this Sunday, and bring cash or a check made out to Community of Pilgrims, in the amount of $8 for adult M, L, and XL, and youth; and $12 for adult 2XL. Thank you!

* We also have plenty of beautiful leather bracelets for each member of the community! Pick one up this Sunday!
* In the coming months, Pastor Chris and I will be quoting from and referencing sections from the book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, a Benedictine monk, who, in this book, focuses on the nature of living life in an intentional Christian community, which is our aim as Community of Pilgrims. We can either order books for those interested and sending in a request for so-many copies, or feel free to order it or buy it from your favorite book distributor. Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister, San Francisco: Harper One.
____

Prayer Concerns and Celebrations

For refugees and migrants throughout the world;
For candidates awaiting results of ordination exams, and the readers charges with evaluating them;
_____

Poem

November, by Maggie Dietz
Show's over, folks. And didn't October do
A bang-up job? Crisp breezes, full-throated cries
Of migrating geese, low-floating coral moon.

Nothing left but fool's gold in the trees.
Did I love it enough, the full-throttle foliage,
While it lasted? Was I dazzled? The bees

Have up and quit their last-ditch flights of forage
And gone to shiver in their winter clusters.
Field mice hit the barns, big squirrels gorge

On busted chestnuts. A sky like hardened plaster
Hovers. The pasty river, its next of kin,
Coughs up reed grass fat as feather dusters.

Even the swarms of kids have given in
To winter's big excuse, boxed-in allure:
TVs ricochet light behind pulled curtains.

The days throw up a closed sign around four.
The hapless customer who'd wanted something
Arrives to find lights out, a bolted door.

_____

Buen Camino!
Pastors Brett & Chris
Rev. Dr. Brett Webb-Mitchell (919) 444-9111; brettwebbmitchell@gmail.com Rev. Chris Dungan (503) 724-7060; chrisdungan1@msn.com

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