Advent 101 (The Pastor's Pen)

Advent (from the Latin word adventus meaning "coming") is a season observed in many Western Christian Churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year and commences on Advent Sunday, called Levavi. The Eastern churches' equivalent of Advent is called the Nativity Fast, but it differs both in length and observances and does not begin the church year, which starts instead on September 1. The progression of the season may be marked with an Advent calendar, a practice introduced by German Lutherans. Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before December 25, the Sunday from November 27 to December 3 inclusive. Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used in reference to the Second Coming of Christ. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves as a reminder both of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the coming of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians for Christ's return. The theme of readings and teachings during Advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as savior and to his second coming as judge, special readings are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent. The usual liturgical color in Western Christianity for Advent is purple. The purple color is often used for hangings around the church, and on the vestments of the clergy. On the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, rose may be used instead. Many churches make use of Advent wreaths during this season, with one candle representing each of the four Sundays of Advent. Families representing various aspects of church life are selected to light candles on successive Sundays -- Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. From the 4th century the season was kept as a period of fasting as strict as that of Lent. In the Anglican and Lutheran churches this fasting rule was later relaxed, with the Roman Catholic Church doing likewise later, but still keeping Advent as a season of penitence. In addition to fasting, dancing and similar festivities were forbidden in these traditions. The third Sunday in Lent was a Rose Sunday, when the color of the vestments was changed and a relaxation of the fast was permitted. The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches still hold the tradition of fasting for 40 days before the Nativity Feast. In recent times the commonest observance of Advent outside church circles has been the keeping of an advent calendar or advent wreath, with one door being opened in the calendar, or one section of the candle being burned, on each day in December leading up to Christmas Eve. In the late 20th Century in the Protestant Church, Advent has seen a decline and has been largely overlooked as modern worshippers tend to “rush to the manger” and miss the meaning of waiting. This practice denies us the experience and understanding of waiting that our ancestors endured. Because of this misinterpretation, the Church has an even larger role in educating its members on the true meaning of waiting. In a world which is so conformed to the secular rendition of the Christmas event, Christians, especially, are urged to slow down and feel the anguish of the Hebrew people in their longing for the coming of the Messiah. Instant gratification and the need for simple, streamlined access to even the most important traditions of the past have short-changed many people on their way to the manger of Bethlehem. May we, this year and every year, know the joy of waiting for what is a worthwhile gift. Happy waiting!

Active Adults

Pilgrim Church has always had meaningful ministries for its various age groups. Upon my arrival two years ago (can you believe it) much of what I heard sounded like this, “We need a Youth Minister!” That need has been addressed with the addition of Michelle Wilkey who leads our Youth among other responsibilities. We are now uncovering another much neglected group at Pilgrim. I am sensing a need for a new ministry at Pilgrim Church. Maybe I should call it a return to a former ministry. As the Church is “graying” with an ever older membership, it is time to focus our ministry on the group that gives the most (in many ways) and asks for the least. This group is our Senior Citizens (sometimes called Active Adults). Over the past couple of months we have developed a template for a monthly gathering of “Active Adults” to be encouraged and enriched in several ways: S Spirituality E Enrichment N Nutrition I Intergenerational O Outreach R Recreational Watch for exciting information to come in the next two months about this programming for Active Adults. The group will meet monthly for meals, bus trips, speakers and programs. If you have questions or input, please stop me in the hall or come in to see me and help this exciting ministry get off to a great start. There are no definitions of SENIOR or ADULT being used. You will decide if you want to participate without the help of birth certificates.

Halloween – Pagan or Holy?

Everyone knows that Christmas is the holiday which brings in the most money to business. Do you know which is second? Easter? - No. Valentine’s Day? - No. It is Halloween. Halloween is the second most popular and the second most profitable of the holidays. So where did it come from? “Hallow” in old English means “holy” or “sacred”. “Hallow’s Eve” or Halloween means “evening of holy persons” and refers to the evening before All Saints’ Day. As early as 609 B.C., All Saints Day was practiced in the church as a means of honoring all martyrs. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory II moved the festival of All Saints to November 1st where it remains to this day on both Anglican and Roman Catholic calendars. The move in part offered a substitute for the popular pagan celebration of the Celtic New Year. The Celts believed that at the New Year, the dead came back to mingle among the living. As the ghosts thronged about the houses of the living, they were greeted with tables loaded with food. After feasting, masked and costumed villagers, representing the souls of the dead, paraded to the outskirts of the town leading the ghosts away. You can see the origins of Halloween in this festival -- children dressing up in costumes going house to house to gather treats in an effort to thwart the work of ghosts. Thus Halloween is in part a religious holiday to prepare us for the Festival of All Saints. Some Christians prohibit their children from practicing this age-old rite. They say it is pagan. I think not. It is grounded in religious practice and can be used as a “teachable moment” when we know the facts. So get out your favorite mask and old bed sheet. Go to the neighborhood Halloween party. It’s your religious duty. Get ready for All Saints’ Day.

Stepping out in Faith

For several weeks prior to Palm Sunday, we used the phrase, “Stepping out in Faith” as the theme of our new relationship with Iglesia Pentecostes Maranatha. Since early January, when we were first contacted by Maranatha Church, there had been much excitement about all that our two Churches could accomplish together at 4418 Bridgetown Road. There were, of course, agreements to hash out, insurance coverages to discuss, rent to be determined, and many other things to negotiate. It was a busy couple of months that led up to April 1st. And then it became reality. Attendance for both Churches was exemplary. (It didn’t hurt that it was Palm Sunday.) Expectations were high. I will admit, though, to a sense of nervousness on my part. Would everything go as planned? Would the interpreters get every word? Would the Spanish name tags arrive in time? Tension was in the air. (At least in the air around me.) After our Procession of the Palm, led by Rev. Ruth Brandon and me, we welcomed our new friends at the front of the sanctuary. We exchanged greetings in both English and Spanish. And then the most wonderful thing happened. A very unplanned event took place. I said, “Now, won’t you come and greet the members of Maranatha Church.”Frankly I expected a few folks to come forward and shake a hand or two. I had even prompted Barb Bucey to get up and start the greetings just in case there was no movement at all. What happened next was one of the greatest moments in my 40 year ministry. Every able bodied Pilgrim member on hand came forward with outstretched hands and arms in the most welcoming event I had ever seen. There were Pilgrim folks who had dusted off their Spanish so they could give a greeting in Maranatha Church’s native tongue. There were hugs and hand shakes galore. Adults greeted children and vise versa. Old men bent way down to shake the hands of four year olds, each with big smiles. There was koinonia (community). The spirit of God was at work. What we had called, “Stepping out in Faith,” was really a slogan we had adopted to make sure we recognized that it would take a great amount of faith to make this thing work. I really had not given a lot of thought to what it would look like. What we saw that day was indeed faith taking a giant step. This process took twenty minutes and nobody seemed to mind. It was Pilgrim United Church of Christ at its best. It was allowing God to lead. IT WAS THE BRGINNING. Now we are about the task of learning from each other. Already Maranatha Church is helping with the yard work. Plans are afoot to get involved in English as a Second Language classes. Maranatha folks will be helping us with our Spanish and teaching us Hispanic cooking. The list is endless. Let’s keeping walking in faith. Earlier I used the word koinonia. Look it up.

Confirmation Sunday

On Sunday, June 3, 2012, our Confirmation class will be formally recognized and taken into full membership in the church. It will be a festive day of first Holy Communion, taking of membership vows as well as picture taking and congratulations. The worship service itself will take on a celebratory tone as we welcome our two newest members. But, it will be so much more. Our two confirmands, Hannah Basil and Zachary Martz, have been hard at work since October studying and dissecting what it means to be first a Christian and, then, a member of Pilgrim UCC. These two bright and inquisitive young people have demonstrated a fantastic grasp of Church history and the Church’s place in the history of civilization. They indeed understand the integration of the religious and the secular. June 3rd will be a celebration of their progress toward that goal. Please plan to be on hand for this most important step in the lives of these two young people.

Welcome Maranatha Church!!!

Palm Sunday 2012

After weeks of planning and prayer, the time has come for Pilgrim UCC to officially welcome the people of Iglesia Pentecostes Maranatha (Maranatha Penetecostal Church). This bold step on the part of Pilgrim Church is the culmination of heartfelt negotiations on the part of many people to invite Maranatha Church to use the facilities at 4418 Bridgetown Road as their Church home. Their first day among us will be Palm Sunday, April 1st.

Pastor Pablo Cesar Lopez’ congregation of about thirty people will first assemble at 9:30 am on April 1st for their song service in the Memorial Chapel. At 10:00 a.m. they will join us in the Sanctuary for the Procession of the Palms as we parade around in first century fashion waving palm branches re-enacting Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This custom is common to us, but will be brand new to Maranatha Church.

Next we will hear greetings for Rev. Ruth Brandon of SONKA and words from each pastor to commemorate this joint venture. Following some introductions of congregational leaders, Maranatha Church will retire to the Chapel to continue their worship as we will continue ours. Following worship, we will eat together in the Fellowship Hall as a sign of what Christians often do – they eat.

The meal will be our traditional Sunday Brunch of Pancakes, French Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Home fries and Fruit. The servers will be our Board of Governors. There will then be plenty of time for fellowship and conversation with our new friends. Palm Sunday is always a festive time in the Christian Church. This year there is all the more reason to rejoice as sisters and brothers of different cultures join hands in praise of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the coming weeks and months there will be opportunities for each congregation to be enhanced by the other as we share plans to learn form each other in so many ways. Please pray for this momentous time in the life of each congregation. Together we will live out the motto of the United Church of Christ: “…that they may be one, as we are one.” Truly Jesus’ words, as captured by John in chapter 17, will be lived out just as he had prayed to the Father for his followers.

May what we do here be blessed by Almighty God.

Thirty Pieces of Silver

The Board of Christian Nurture is proud to announce an educational approach to Lent. Beginning Sunday March 4th, worshippers will be given a small hand-sewn cloth bag.

During the Children’s moment, Rev. Bucey will “educate” those assembled on the importance of a full understanding of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and our part in it.

The cloth bags will be used over the next few weeks to collect coins (30 pieces of silver) to allow participants inside the mind of Judas as he contemplated his misgivings about Jesus. On Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday participants will bring their bags to the altar as a means of admission of our own betrayal of the Lord. Past churches have made this exercise a valued part of their Lenten preparation for Easter.

Some have put nickels, dimes and/or quarters in their bags. Others have opted for a more adventurous “betrayal.” Even John Kennedy half dollars and Susan B. Anthony dollars and an occasional Sacajawea dollar have made their way to the altar. Oh, by the way, a check will also suffice as a sacrifice.

Please note: This offering will be given to the general fund offering of our church to defray the expenses of our general operation.

Welcome Maranatha Church

Pilgrim Church Steps Out in Faith



Pilgrim Church, by action of the Church Council, is offering an invitation to Iglesia Pentecostes Maranatha to use a portion of our facility for their worship and fellowship. This is a bold step of faith on the part of Pilgrim Church and comes after much thought and prayer about this missional opportunity.



In January of this year representatives of Maranatha Church, a Hispanic Christian Church, presently meeting on Cleves Warsaw Road, approached Pilgrim Church about the possibility of renting space. Their present space was not conducive to worship and they felt a need to leave. Our Board of Stewards recommended to the Council that we offer them our Chapel for worship and various other parts of the building (as scheduled) for a new church “home.”



Maranatha Church is predominantly Hispanic with its members coming from many Central and South American nations. Their worship is in Spanish yet many of their constituents speak English. Their aim is to grow and bring more members into their Church. Our Stewards and Council felt this invitation was the right thing to do since we are all sisters and brothers in Christ.

Their first service at 4418 Bridgetown Road will be Palm Sunday April 1st. They will meet in the Chapel at 9:30 and then join us in the Sanctuary at 10:00 for a Commissioning Service and an introduction of one congregation to another. After returning to the Chapel for the conclusion of their service, they will be our guest at the Pancake Breakfast as a way of getting to know one another.

Plan now to be in worship on this momentous day to greet our brothers and sisters in Christ as we begin a meaningful relationship with other Christians. Rev. Ruth Brandon, SONKA Association Minister, will bring greetings from the denomination.


Maranatha Church’s Weekly Schedule

Sunday
9:30 – 11:30 am
and 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Wednesday
7:30 - 9:30 pm

Friday
7:30 - 9:30 pm


Your questions about this mission opportunity may be addressed to any Council member or Rev. David Bucey or Nancy Matthew (representing Mission and Outreach).

The Lord's Prayer

Probably most of us can’t remember the first time we heard the Lord’s Prayer—or the Our Father, as many put it. That’s because this prayer seems to be almost everyone’s possession. Even in this time of so much biblical illiteracy, the Lord’s Prayer is still part of the common possession of several billion people. And for many of us, not only can’t we remember when we first heard this prayer, neither can we remember when we memorized it—because our memorizing was not a conscious effort; it was simply the process of hearing the words until they were part of our very being. Not that memorizing this prayer is a great feat. It is only a few dozen words, so few that even when we speak slowly we complete the prayer in thirty seconds.

But these few words may be the most familiar collection of words on our planet. They have been translated into roughly two thousand languages and dialects, including those for probably 98 percent of the world’s inhabitants. On any given weekend they will be spoken in unison in massive cathedral-like buildings and in mud huts and in open fields or worshipers. Every priest or pastor knows, as does many a nurse or hospice care specialist, that this prayer is one of the last statements made by those who are dying. All of which is to say that there is no prayer—indeed, no single collection of words—that can rightly be compared to this one.

For our Wednesday evening Lenten Study we will use The Lord’s Prayer for our springboard. We will explore our understanding of this age-old template for our prayer lives as we attempt to make some sense out of our commandment to follow Jesus’ prayer in our own lives. Various types of prayers—including prayers of confession, adoration, supplication, intersession, etc.—will be examined in depth to get at the power of prayer for our daily lives.

Plan now to be in attendance each Wednesday evening after the “simple meal” to study prayer and its overwhelming impact on our lives. No one will be asked to pray aloud or share anything he or she wishes to keep private. This class will be enlightening and uplifting, but not a “showcase” or a contest for the best prayer or the best pray-er.

I pray that you’ll see this as an opportunity to learn.