May 28, 2008
Pentecost: The Work of the Spirit
1. Last Sunday in worship we heard from the first of many members of our community who will share in the coming weeks about where they discern the work of the Spirit in the world around us. Where is the Spirit opening your eyes to see the world in a new way? Where is the Spirit calling you in the world? These are the questions for the season of Pentecost.
Today long-time Pilgrim Nancy Lee Head offers the following reflection:
As I focused on the prepared questions, I was pushed into considering some PRIOR questions: HOW can I discern the Holy Spirit at work? i.e. (HOW can I cultivate an attitude to better understand the Spirit and her work?) WHAT are some of the recognizable marks/signs of the Holy Spirit's presence/work? WHY is the Spirit called HOLY? WHY are there often sharp disagreements among Christians about where, when and
how we witness the Holy Spirit at work?
I am sharing an exploration of my first question, HOW can I discern the Holy Spirit at work?
"You must be born of water AND the Spirit", Jesus told Nicodemus. The maturing of one's spiritual self is a dynamic, life-long process as is the growth of one's physical body. What are some of the components that might nurture that spiritual development and thus enhance one's ability to discern the Spirit? Here are a few suggestions:
--a sensitive spirit that throws open its windows in every life circumstance to allow the wind of the Spirit to blow where it will...
--a curious mind that reflects on the movement of the Spirit throughout history (biblical, secular and personal history)...
--a prayer life that plunges ever deeper into the heart of God...
--a faith family with whom we worship and with whom we can explore our "wonderments" about the Holy Spirit...
--an imagination that calls us to envision the creative connections of Providence beyond normal sight...
--a discipline of "profound listening" so we can hear "the still, small voice" amid the cacophony of this capital city...
--a compassionate heart that can throb with the pain and injustices of the world and participate in the Spirit's redemptive healing...
--a playful, inner child who can dance joyfully in tune with the deep rhythms of the universe!
Prayerfully submitted, Nancy Lee Head
Look for this and other stories of the Spirit at Work on our website.
2. This Sunday, June 1, we will celebrate the Lord's Supper in worship, and follow worship with our monthly buffet lunch in the fellowship hall. During lunch, the Trustees will present an important proposal to the congregation about the possible sale of a parcel of church property. All members of the congregation are encouraged to attend this important discussion, which will proceed a special meeting of the congregation scheduled for Sunday, June 8, immediately following worship.
3. New Covenant Group Forming: This Sunday at 9:30 a.m., Carol Huls is convening a planning meeting upstairs in the Youth Education Room for all those interested in forming a covenant group that will explore service as a spiritual practice. Participants will gather one Saturday morning a month share in a joint service project (such as last month's Habitat build), with time for sharing, prayer, and reflection. If this sounds compelling to you, contact Carol at janey1168@yahoo.com.
- Are you interested in starting your own Covenant Group, or being a part of one? If so, speak to Jeff or Ashley.
4. Beginning this week and continuing through the summer, the Labyrinth will be available in the Bird Room for meditative reflection before worship. If you have never walked the Labyrinth, it is an ancient spiritual practice of walking circuits-- a spiral pathway-- to the center of labyrinth, and then back out, allowing for prayer and reflection on the journey of life. (See http://www.lessonsforliving.com/labyrinth.htm ).
5. Engaging the Homeless: There are two opportunities to support the homeless in the coming weeks:
- Working with Common Ground, a national homeless service organization, the District of Columbia Department of Human Services is planning to administer a survey of individuals who are homeless to figure out who is most vulnerable and likely to die on the street. This assessment will be used to help prioritize eligibility for permanent supportive housing. they are planning to survey more than 800 individuals as part of this process. Volunteers are needed to go out on 3 early morning dates on June 16, 17, and 18, from 4:30a.m.--7a.m. Common Ground will lead a special training for volunteers on June 5th at 7 p.m. Volunteers must participate in the training and all three of the assessment dates. If you are interested in participating, please contact WIN organizer Amy Vruno, at vrunoiaf@gmail.com or call her at 202-744-2302.
The National Coalition for the Homeless is supporting the 2008 Homeless USA Cup that will be held in Washington, DC June 27th-29th. Volunteers are needed for everything from serving breakfast, field set up, score keeper, team contacts etc∑. There will be about 100 players from all across the country, with 12-15 teams competing to represent the USA in Melbourne, Australia later this year in the Homeless World Cup! For more information please email Megan Hustings at volunteer@streetsoccerusa.org or call Megan at 202-462-4822. For more info please check the website at www.streetsoccerusa.org <http://www.streetsoccerusa.org> .
6. Engaging the Homeless, Part II: Starting tomorrow morning, Matt Boote, our Pilgrimage Program Manager, is participating in an Urban Plunge through the National Coalition for the Homeless. For 48 continuous hours, Matt will be on the streets of D.C. to gain a deeper perspective of what it means to be homeless and hungry. Matt will be joined by another participant plus a guide from NCH. Please keep Matt in your thoughts and prayers as he takes on this important endeavor for his own justice journey and his work at The Pilgrimage.
7: Prayers:
- Our prayers this week are with Ashley as she heads off to Michigan to officiate at the wedding of former Pilgrims interns Emily Presley and Evans McGowan.
- Please keep Andrea Krehbiel in your prayers as she flies out tomorrow for a two month summer program with American University in Paris.
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
www.churchofthepilgrims.org <http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org>
Pilgrims on the Journey:
May 21, 2008
Pilgrims on the Journey:
While summer is not yet officially here, Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer hiatus for our Sunday morning Christian Education programs. While the church calendar is lighter in the months of June, July and August, there will be many opportunities to discern the work of the Spirit in our lives and in the world:
1. Beginning this Sunday in worship, and each week in these Updates, different members of the community will share stories of where they discern the work of the Spirit in the world around us. Where is the Spirit opening your eyes to see the world in a new way? Where is the Spirit calling you in the world? These are the questions for the season of Pentecost.
3. Several Covenant Groups are in the process of formation-- small, intentional groups for prayer and support. Three groups have already been announced, and more may be announced soon:
- Stan Lou is forming a group for prayer and mutual support that will focus on life transitions. For more information, contact stangoblue@yahoo.com .
- Jean Stewart, working with Parish Associate Margee Iddings, is convening a group to focus on different modes of prayer, meeting the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the church. The first meeting is scheduled for June 24th. If you would be interested in being part of this group, contact Jean at jean.stewart@rcn.com <mailto:jean.stewart@rcn.com> .
- Carol Huls is also forming a group that will explore service as a spiritual practice. Participants will gather one Saturday morning a month share in a joint service project (such as last month's Habitat build), with time for sharing, prayer, and reflection. There will be a planning meeting Sunday, June 1, before worship at 9:30 a.m. for all interested participants. If this sounds compelling to you, contact Carol at janey1168@yahoo.com.
- Are you interested in starting your own Covenant Group, or being a part of one? If so, speak to Jeff or Ashley.
4. Beginning June 1, each week before worship, the Labyrinth will be available in the Bird Room for meditative reflection. If you have never walked the Labyrinth, it is an ancient spiritual practice of walking circuits-- a spiral pathway-- to the center of labyrinth, and then back out, allowing for prayer and reflection on the journey of life. (See http://www.lessonsforliving.com/labyrinth.htm ).
5. Also in these Updates, throughout the summer Ashley and I will offer suggestions for Spiritual growth-- website to visit, books to read, special events to participate in-- opportunities for you to listen to the Spirit at work. Today I invite you to consider signing up for free daily messages from the Church of the Savior on the "journey inward-journey outward." Here is a sample, with a link below on how you can sign up:
Noticing What Is
Eugene Peterson
We wake up each morning to a world we did not make. How did it get here? How did we get here? We open our eyes and see that 'old bowling ball the sun' careen over the horizon. We wiggle our toes. A mockingbird takes off and improvises on themes set down by robins, vireos, and wrens, and we marvel at the intricacies.... There is so much here--around, above, below, inside, outside. Even with the help of poets and scientists we can account for very little of it. We notice this, then that.... Before long we are looking out through telescopes and down into microscopes, curious, fascinated by this endless proliferation of sheer Is-ness--color and shape and texture and sound.
After awhile we get used to it and quit noticing. We get narrowed down into something small and constricting. Somewhere along the way this exponential expansion of awareness, this wide-eyed looking around, this sheer untaught delight in what is here, reverses itself: the world contracts; we are reduced to a life of routine through which we sleepwalk. But not for long. Something always shows up to jar us awake.
Source: Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places
Click here to sign up.
This weekend I will be officiating at the wedding of Jeff Lubbers and Renee Shand, who will be married in upstate New York.
Next weekend, Ashley will officiate at the wedding of former summer interns Emily Presley and Evans McGowan, in Northville, Michigan.
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
www.churchofthepilgrims.org <http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org>
May 15, 2008
Pilgrims on the Journey:
1. This Sunday we will celebrate our programs of Christian Education and Spiritual Formation, and recognize all those in the congregation who participate in and lead our Sunday School and Adult Education classes. Our focus this year is on spiritual formation as a life-long vocation. We will mark that on Sunday in a special way by recognizing all our graduates, and by receiving into membership (for the second time), Karen Kinney, who has been accepted in the Masters of Divinity program at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA, and has asked to be taken "under care" of our Session as she begins the process of preparation for Ministry of Word and Sacrament within the Presbyterian Church.
2. During worship we will also receive a Special Offering to Help the People of Myanmar. The offering will be given through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), which is also supported through our One Great Hour of Sharing offerings. $100,000 has already been designated for Myanmar through PDA. PDA is responding in Myanmar as a member of and in partnership with Action by Churches Together (ACT) International and Church World Service. Both entities have local partners in Myanmar and will have representatives to help in the provision of relief items to cyclone survivors. If you will not be here Sunday, you can donate online at http://www.pcusa.org/pda/response/asia/myanmarburma-index.htm , or by sending a check to the church marked "Myanmar Offering."
3. Before worship, at 9:30 a.m., we will conclude our Adult Education class, "Cross Cultural Connections," sharing how encounters abroad shape our identity and world-view. This week Aine McCarthy will share her stories and experiences.
4. "Theology on Tap" concludes Tuesday night at the Brickskeller, across the street from the church, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The focus of this series is "Spirituality and Social Justice." We gather for dinner and fellowship in the downstairs back room at 6:30, followed by Bible study at 7:30. Planned with young adults in mind, Pilgrims of all ages are welcome. Let me know if you would like to join us! As always, this is Bible study even for those who have never done Bible study before!
6. A reminder that Circle 4, Pilgrim's gathering for women, will meet Monday, May 19, 6:30 p.m. at Pat Goeldner's home, for a pot-luck supper. There is no agenda-- only fellowship-- and no church business! Newcomers are especially welcome. Please RSVP with Pat pgoeldner@iona.org or call her at 362-0813.
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
www.churchofthepilgrims.org <http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org>
May 7, 2008
Pilgrims on the Journey:
1. This Sunday we celebrate the day of Pentecost, the "birthday" of the church by the gift of the Holy Spirit, which inspires "the young to see visions and the old to dream dreams," and sends disciples out as Jesus' witnesses "to Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." We will mark the day by encouraring everyone to wear something red for worship, gathering at the Lord's Table, and celebrating the world-wide diversity of the Christian community.
2. During worship we will also receive our Special Pentecost Offering, which benefits children, at-risk, youth, and young adults. It is one of four church-wide special offerings throughout the year, and this will be the third year that Pilgrims will receive this offering. Forty percent of the offering is retained by the church and directed to a local mission supporting at-risk youth. The PCUSA General Assembly Council divides the remaining 60 percent among:
3. Before worship, at 9:30 a.m., we will continue our Adult Education class, "Cross Cultural Connections," sharing how encounters abroad shape our identity and world-view. This week Mary Judy will share her stories and experiences.
4. "Theology on Tap" continues Tuesday night at the Brickskeller, across the street from the church, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The focus of this series is "Spirituality and Social Justice." We gather for dinner and fellowship in the downstairs back room at 6:30, followed by Bible study at 7:30. Planned with young adults in mind, Pilgrims of all ages are welcome. Let me know if you would like to join us! As always, this is Bible study even for those who have never done Bible study before!
5. Friday Club, our monthly gathering for seniors, will meet this week a noon to share a meal together, and then hear from Jack Womeldorf about his recent trip to Africa. Please RSVP with Pat Goeldner at pgoeldner@iona.org or call her at 362-0813.
6. Circle 4, Pilgrim's gathering for women, will meet Monday, May 19, 6:30 p.m. at Pat Goeldner's home, for a pot-luck supper. There is no agenda-- only fellowship-- and no church business! Newcomers are especially welcome. Please RSVP with Pat pgoeldner@iona.org or call her at 362-0813.
7. Lighting to Unite: Beginning tomorrow night, for three nights Washington National Cathedral will display the artistry of Swiss lighting artist Gerry Hofstetter with spectacular exterior illumination of the Cathedral's south and west sides, in celebration of the Cathedral's centennial. Vivid images will be projected directly on the Cathedral, sunset to midnight, illustrating its mission of reconciliation, spotlighting its role as a spiritual beacon for the nation, and proclaiming hope for all humankind.
8. Would you like to visit Indonesia? Tari Gregory is extending an open invitation to any and all Pilgrims to join her in November for a two-week trip to Java and Bali. She writes, "We will do tourist stuff and visit some Christian Foundations, like the orphanage that we have been supporting, the “Reksa Putra”, and others that help and empower marginalized people, and also maybe visit one or two churches. If you are interested to go please let me know by mid-July, so I can go ahead and make the arrangement. As of now, I don’t know exactly how much it will cost, but I will figure it out soon." If you are interested, contact Tari at tarigregory@verizon.net.
9. Former Pilgrim Mark Fraley is featured this month in the Teach for America alumni magazine for his community organizing work with the Industrial Areas Foundation (WIN's parent organization) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The organization Mark helped found, Common Ground, held their founding convention last month with 2,400 people present. Read more at http://www.teachforamerica.org/alumni/one_day/spring2008_profile.htm and also http://www.commongroundwi.org/
9. Prayer Concerns:
- Please keep the family of Joanne Leong in your prayers. Her mother was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer. Joanne, Amir, and their newborn daugther, Kendall, have traveled to California to be with her.
- We also grieve with Yvonne Kavuo who learned last weekend of the death of her sister, living in the Congo, who leaves behind three small children. Yvonne, who has been doing research this year at Georgetown University, will return to the Congo at the end of the month, where she is involved in HIV/AIDs education and outreach with the Congo Council of Churches.
Peace,
Jeff Krehbiel, Pastor
Church of the Pilgrims
Washington, DC
www.churchofthepilgrims.org <http://www.churchofthepilgrims.org>
April 2008 Pastor's Updates
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