From the Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Keith C. Alderman

The Gift is in the Giving

This year at Pilgrim Congregational Church

we are going to do something different for us, but

ancient to the life of the church. For several years

we have offered during the Advent season a

seminar entitled “Centering Prayer for Advent.”

Why is this important? Advent is

the season set apart by our

ancestors in the faith to prepare our

hearts and minds to receive the

supreme gift that God has given us

in the birth, life, teaching, and

resurrection of our Lord Jesus

Christ.

Centering Prayer is the

practice of sitting in meditation

with a thought or image or a phrase

is mind (such as “Jesus Christ, be

with me; or Peace, or Love, Listen,

Mercy, Let Go, Faith, Trust, etc. ”) for at least 20 -

30 minutes per session. Some of you have

practiced this during the seminars we have offered

during previous years.

To this, every Monday evening during the

Advent season (December 1, 8, 15, 22, 2014; at

6:30 PM) we will add specific things which you

would like to pray for, such as healing for yourself

or a loved one, or perhaps a solution to a problem

you are having. Anything at all is acceptable. Every

situation we have in our lives can be improved by

prayer. I once offered this practice to a group, and

a woman came forward and asked us to pray for

her daughter who was gravely ill, and quite

possibly facing death. There were about ten of us

who gathered in a circle, quieted ourselves, and

entered into a space of centering prayer. After a

period of several minutes, I led the group in a

guided meditation in which we pictured and

visualized this young woman receiving light and

energy from God, Jesus Christ, and ourselves. It

was very powerful, and we could feel the

electricity in the air. At the end of the meditation,

the woman whose daughter was ill said, “I don’t

know what has happened, but something has

changed. I get the feeling that my daughter is

going to be OK. “ It took several months, but

slowly and imperceptibly, the condition of this

young woman had changed and to the best of my

knowledge, she has recovered and gone back to

her job as an elementary school teacher.

The Lord has said, “Be still, and know that I

am God” (Ps. 46:100. Sometimes the greatest gift

that can be given is to give of ourselves back to the

God who made us and loves us still. In that

wonderful old hymn, In the Bleak Midwinter, there

is a line which asks what gift can we give to the

Christ child? The answer, “Yet what can I give him

-- (I can) give him my heart.” Our hearts – that’s

what gift we can give to Christ this Christmas.

+ In Christ at Advent,

Rev. Keith

From the Associate Pastor Jonathan Elsensohn As I'm writing this, I am sitting in the guest room at the home of my best friend from college. On this cold and windy (and now snowy) Tuesday, I drove all the way out to Saratoga Springs to visit Charlie and to go to a concert. The show we went to see, a bluegrass band called the Stray Birds, was just phenomenal. The blending of lyrics, harmonies and strings filled the small venue and offered each of us a chance to share some part of the passion the musicians felt for their craft. That sort of emotion, tied to music, is one of the central parts of the Advent season. This month we will once again sing songs that have been sung by many, many generations before us; songs of hope and expectation and promise and of a light shining forth amidst the darkness. Garrison Keillor once wrote that Lutherans (one of the long suffering but well beloved standards of the “Prairie Home Companion”) learn to sing in 4-part harmony by being held in the arms of a parent during a worship service, and feeling the harmonic intervals through their parents ribcage. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound too far off for me. I can remember being taught to sing the refrain of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” phonetically: “Gloria In Eggshells Is Dayo”. Advent is a time of tradition, of reaching into a mythic and half-remembered past and finding there the roots of a deep and abiding mystery, a hope that sustains us through the dark days of Winter. Here at Pilgrim Church, we will have many ways to cause our lights to shine amidst the darkness. We will celebrate the Hanging of the Greens, we will have a chance to participate in healing and centering prayer, we and our choirs will sing the songs of old at our Cantata, and our children will take the opportunity to bring the story of the Nativity and the Three Magi to life. I hope that you will be able to join us on Sunday, the 28th of December, as our kids take a new look at an eternal story. This Advent, may each of you find an opportunity to pause, amidst all the hustle and bustle of the season, and take a moment to consider the night sky. It was under this same sky that “certain poor shepherds” lay in their fields, marveling at a star and a mysterious visitor. There, in great darkness, there arose a heavenly light, and it is in that same darkness that we are drawn to search for our own light.

-Jon

12/1 Ruth Bergman

Beth Ortega

12/2 Helen Beauregard

12/3 Deb Walker

Shaqim Walker

12/4 Tina Pilgrim

12/8 Sandra Grady

Lisa Dauphinais

12/9 Christopher Paquette

12/10 Jamie Cormier

12/11 Sally Hens

Charles A. Milhans, Jr.

12/12 Donald Hicks, Jr.

Brad Roy

Colette Vallee

12/13 Debbie Dewhurst

12/14 Katie Maillet

12/16 Brian Kenney

12/17 Roland S. Hammons

12/18 Carol J. Claflin (Sr.)

Lauren Dewey

12/20 Aaron Clifford

12/21 Penny Faul

12/30 Barbara Parker

DECEMBER DEACONS

Dec. 7 Mary Mullahy

Communion by Intinction – Assisting

Mary and Rev. Keith will be Jason Vallee

and Sandra DeRienzo.

Dec. 14 – Irene Barry

Dec. 21 – Bonnie Clifton

Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve - Jon Elsensohn,

Jason Vallee and Mary Mullahy

Dec. 28 – Christmas Pageant –

None needed

Lucille Sampson Scholarship Fund

The monetary contributions that were earned and

collected in honor of Lucille between last summer

and this fall totaled around $1600. Lucille is

contributing the scholarship funds to the Leominster

Public Schools Music Department. She described

that they were thrilled, excited and appreciative to

be chosen for this award.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

DEACONS CHRISTMAS CARDS

TREE

Deacons will be in the Narthex and Fellowship Hall so

you can purchase a Christmas card from them to be

hung on the trees. First Sunday is Nov. 30. Names of

those sending greetings to fellow church members will

be printed in the bulletin each week through December

28.

FOOD PANTRY

During the busy month of

December, contributions of

Peanut Butter and canned

fish/meat would be very

much appreciated to stock our

shelves. Money is also very gratefully received.

Nancy Hicks, Bev Stone and Martha Crane

COFFEE HOUR

Members of the Diaconate are in

charge of Coffee Hours for the month

of December.

COOKIE WALK

The annual Cookie Walk will

be held Sunday, Dec. 21st after

church. A variety of cookies

will be available for purchase at $3.00 for a baker’s

dozen. Please consider making your favorite

Christmas cookie to contribute to the Cookie Walk.

The sign-up sheet and directions are on the

Opportunity Table.

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS IN

THE “MESSENGER”

Pilgrim Congregational Church invites members and friends to advertise your business in our monthly newsletter. The cost is $25.00 per calendar quarter. Simply submit a business card or equivalent-size notice to the church office, along with payment, for however many quarters you’d like the ad to run. This is a wonderful opportunity to promote your business while contributing financially to the church’s operations. We thank the following

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Just a reminder that

hospitals and nursing

homes do NOT notify

Pilgrim Church when you

are admitted. It is up to

YOU, a family member, or

a friend, to contact US when you have been

admitted to the hospital, a rehabilitation

center, or a nursing home.

CHRISTMAS FAIRE

Saturday, December 6 10 AM = 4 PM

And after church December 7

You can help make the Christmas Faire a success

by

*Attending and bringing friends, relatives,

neighbors, and co-workers with you

*Bring your contributions in at any time prior to

the Faire. Contributions can be left on the stage

or brought to church on set-up day, Dec. 5

between 9 AM and 3 PM.

*Share the enclosed red poster with friends and

co-workers.

MISSIONS COMMITTEE CHRISTMAS TREES

Again this year, trees will be put up in the Narthex and Sanctuary for service projects.

1. Hat & Mitten Tree – Donations of new hats and mittens will be donated to residents at the Montachusett Interfaith Hospitality Network (MIHN).

2. Friendship & Caring Trees – gift tags and type of gift requested will be placed on the trees. Please bring gifts as designated on the tag. Missions Committee members will deliver gifts the week before Christmas, so gifts should be in by Dec. 14th. Do not wrap gifts, please. Place in bags. Moms and dads requested we do this so they could wrap the gifts themselves. The Missions Committee would like to thank the members of PCC in advance for their generosity.

********

Downton Abbey Tea Sat., January 31, 2015 with snow date of February 7, 2015

The setting is Downton Abbey and the time is in the 1920s. Start thinking about your outfit for the tea. A simple headband and rope pearls to a flapper dress would be appropriate and add to the ambiance but is not necessary. The TV show, Downton Abbey, will be on PBS, Channel 2, starting January 4, 2015. Watching the show will give you a background for the tea as well as suggestions for an outfit. Tickets will be on sale in early January.

Women’s Book Bash

January 25, 2015

The first read of 2015, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, is a poignant and memorable story of two

steadfast, courageous women that makes for compulsive reading. The author takes us on a historical journey

where survival depends on one’s own steely backbone, and the miracle of a large and generous heart.

We will meet at the home of Kathy Carruth, 19 Foster Court, Leominster, MA. Kathy’s phone number is 978-

537-1413. Come join us on Sunday, January 25, 2015 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to share your thoughts and

feelings with other women of the church. Call Beth Lyle at 978-537-6964 if you have any questions or need a

ride.

Orphan Train

by Christina Baker Kline

Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands

of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by pure luck.

Would they be adopted by kind and loving families? Or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard

labor and servitude?

As a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent by rail from New York City to an uncertain

future a world away. Returning east later in life, Vivian leads a quiet, peaceful existence on the coast of Maine,

the memories of her upbringing rendered a hazy blur. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a

turbulent past.

Seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer knows that a community-service position helping an elderly widow clean out

her attic is the only thing keeping her out of juvenile hall. But as Molly helps Vivian sort through her keepsakes

and possessions, she discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they appear. A Penobscot Indian who

has spent her youth in and out of foster homes, Molly is also an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too,

has unanswered questions about the past.

Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful tale of

upheaval and resilience, second chances, and unexpected friendship.

REMINDER: December 7, 2014 -- Stella Bain by Anita Shreve

We will meet at the home of Karen McNall, 267 Willard Street, Leominster, MA. Karen’s phone number is

978-537-6351. Come join us on Sunday, December 7, 2014 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to share your thoughts and

feelings with other women of the church. Call Beth Lyle at 978-537-6964 if you have any questions or need a

ride.

December Music Notes with Allyn

Please join us on December 21st at our 9:30 am worship service for our

annual Christmas Cantata. We will present “Images of Adoration,” which

weaves familiar Christmas tunes with new material representing a wide

range of musical styles. In addition to the choir, we will have percussion,

trumpet, horn, and flute.

Here is a description taken from the publishing company’s website: “We

all enjoy the beauty of Christmas—the music and candles, the greenery

and crimson flowers, the holy symbols of the manger, and the star. These

symbols are not merely decorations of the season. Their presence draws

us into the story of Christmas each year, reminding us of the power,

simplicity, and awesome significance of the birth of the Christ Child.”

Updates for the Cantata Singers:

Wednesday rehearsals each week 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 17th Rehearsal 6:30-8:30pm with band

Saturday, Dec. 20th Rehearsal 10:00am-12:00 (it’s possible we will not need to stay until noon, but please block the time if we do).

On Nov. 30th, Dec. 7th, and Dec. 24th (Christmas Eve) we are planning to use pieces of the Cantata during the worship service. If you are interested, please join the adult choir on those days.

Sing Loud and Proud

"The best way to spread Christmas is cheer singing loud for all to hear." -Buddy the Elf

When I was a junior in High School, I remember my history teacher telling us that she used to drive to school

on back roads instead of the highway. Even though it took her longer, she enjoyed going that route so that she

could belt out her favorite songs on her way to work without anybody “catching” her! She enjoyed singing and

it pumped her up for her workday, but she didn’t want others to witness her morning jam sessions.

As I was thinking about the Advent/Christmas season, I remembered this story. I want to encourage us all to

forget about others “catching” us singing in church—sing out in praise of God! Instead of reserving your

talents for the shower, let our church rafters ring with joy and celebration. Our secular Christmas season is

often filled with buying gifts and rushing to get meals prepared. In church, it is a wonderful time to put that

aside and give your all to singing praise to God. It’s nourishing and…free!

DEACON’S CHRISTMAS CARD

TREE

Deacons will be in the Narthex and Fellowship Hall before and after services so you can purchase a Christmas card from them to be hung on the trees. Monies received are used to support projects sponsored by the Deacons. Names of those sending greetings to fellow church members will be printed in the bulletin each week through December 28th.

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS

EVENTS

Nov. 30 – Friendship Sunday/Hanging of the Greens/First Sunday in Advent Dec. 1 – Healing Prayer for Advent – 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6 – Christmas Faire – 10 am – 4 pm Dec. 7 – Second Sunday in Advent/Faire continues after service Pageant rehearsal during worship service Dec. 8 – 6:30 p.m. Healing Prayer for Advent Dec. 14 – Third Sunday in Advent Pageant rehearsal during and after worship Dec. 15 – Healing Prayer for Advent – 6:30 PM Dec. 17 – Cantata rehearsal with band Dec. 20 – Cantata rehearsal/pageant rehearsal Dec. 21 – Fourth Sunday in Advent 9:30 AM Christmas Cantata

Cookie Walk after service Dec. 22 – 6:30 PM Healing Prayer for Advent Dec. 24 – 7:30 PM Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Dec. 25 – Merry Christmas! Dec. 28 – Three Kings Day 8:30 AM Christmas Pageant rehearsal 9:30 AM Worship Service with Pageant Dec. 31 – New Year’s Eve

Ultimate kindness

What greater proof could God have given of

his mercy than by taking upon

himself that which needed

mercy? Where is there such

fullness of loving-kindness as

in the fact that the Word of

God became perishable like the

grass for our sakes?

Let man infer from [Christmas] how much

God cares for him. The humanity of God shows the

greatness of his kindness.

—Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

***

Just the beginning

As John the Baptist prepared the way for

Jesus, he baptized people and urged them to turn

their lives around and live for God. As powerful as

this ritual was, John was clear that Jesus’ baptism

would be more so: “I baptize you with water, but he

will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8,

NIV).

The story is told of a gruff old man who’d

resisted baptism all his life. Finally, he told his

pastor he was ready to be baptized, according to the

church’s custom, that Christmas. After breaking the

ice off the surface of the local pond, the minister

plunged the man, face first, into the frigid water

three times “in the name of the Father, the Son and

the Holy Spirit.”

As the man emerged the third time, he

exclaimed, “Thank God that’s over!”

“Oh, no,” replied the pastor. “Baptism is just

the beginning.”

***

Special dates

• Second Sunday of Advent, December 7, 2014

• Third Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2014

• Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2014

• First Day of Winter, December 21, 2014

• Christmas Eve, December 24, 2014

• Christmas Day, December 25, 2014

• New Year’s Eve/Watch Night, December 31, 2014

A special baby

Mark Lowry, who wrote the lyrics to the

Christmas song “Mary, Did You Know?” says he’s

always been amazed by Mary’s silence at the cross,

as her son was being crucified. Maybe she was

remembering back to that first Christmas, he

wonders, when she counted Jesus’ fingers and toes.

“I wonder if she realized then that those

were the same fingers that had scooped out the

oceans and formed the seas. I wonder if she realized

those were the same feet that had walked on streets

of gold and been worshiped by angels. Those little

lips were the same lips that had spoken the world

into existence. When Mary kissed her little baby,

she wasn’t just kissing another baby; she was

kissing the face of God.”

Mary silently watched her son die 33 years

later, Lowry notes — not just for the world but also

for his own mother. “The baby boy she had

delivered on that first Christmas was now on a cross

delivering her.”

***

With humble

hearts

Bethlehem’s Church

of the Nativity, which marks

the likely spot of Jesus’

birth, has a four-foot-high

entrance. Throughout the centuries, the height of the

entrance has been lowered twice: once to prevent

looting and once to keep out camel- and horse-

riders.

Because visitors must bow as they enter, this

has become known as the Door of Humility. It’s a

reminder of the reverent, submissive posture our

hearts should take as we approach our newborn

Lord and Savior. It’s also a reminder that Jesus is

the narrow door (Luke 13:24) — the only path to

eternal life.

As you worship this Christmas season,

whether or not you’re physically able to kneel, enter

Jesus’ presence with a humble and thankful heart.

He alone deserves our reverence because he alone is

able to save.

A hymn for Hans — and for us all

Martin Luther wrote the hymn “From

Heaven Above” for his 5-year-old son, Hans, to be

sung each year at their family Christmas

celebration. A man dressed as an angel would enter,

singing the first (at least seven!) verses.

A lesser known and tender verse is this one:

These are the tokens ye shall mark,

The swaddling clothes and manger dark;

There shall ye find the young Child laid,

By Whom the heavens and earth were made.

The children would then sing: “Welcome to

earth, Thou noble Guest! ...” and after still more

stanzas, one imagines everyone joining in final

praise:

Glory to God in highest heaven,

Who unto [us] His Son hath given;

While angels sing with tender mirth,

A glad new year to all the earth.

***

True holiness

The life of true holiness is rooted in the soil

of awed adoration. It does not grow elsewhere.... No

blend of zeal, passion, self-denial, discipline,

orthodoxy and effort adds up to holiness where

praise is lacking.

—J.I. Packer, Rediscovering Holiness

***

A Christmas challenge

In many countries, December 26 is Boxing

Day. The name might come from the alms boxes set

out in churches to collect money for the needy,

especially on St. Stephen’s Day, which is December

26. The name also likely comes from the old British

custom of employers giving “Christmas boxes” to

servants or tradesmen the day after Christmas. The

boxes might include money, presents and leftovers

from a Christmas feast. Because servants and others

would have worked on Christmas, they were given

the day after as a holiday to spend with their own

family.

In 1994, the year apartheid ended in South

Africa, the country renamed December 26 “Day of

Goodwill.” Writes Martie Coetser at HubPages

(2013): “Just a day after Christmas, when friends

and relatives exchange gifts of all sorts and

Christians celebrate the gift of ... Jesus Christ, the

Day of Goodwill comes like a challenge. ... What

are you willing to give not in order to get rid of the

things you don’t want, or to kill your feelings of

guilt, but to show goodwill coming from the depth

of your heart?”

***

Christmas traditions around the

globe

Although Americans celebrate the holiday

with candlelight services, piles of gifts, large feasts,

lights and trees, people in other countries mark

Jesus’ birth in many interesting ways:

• Nine days before Christmas in Mexico, Las

Posadas processions reenact Joseph and Mary’s

search for a place to stay in Bethlehem.

• Instead of decorating trees, Italians place fruit on

small wooden pyramids.

• On Christmas Eve, the streets of Caracas,

Venezuela, are blocked off so people can roller-

skate to church.

• Ukrainian Christmas trees often feature an

artificial spider and web. According to a folk tale, a

poor woman who couldn’t afford decorations awoke

one Christmas morning to find that spiders had

“trimmed” her children’s trees with delicate webs.

• In Brazil, the gift-bringer is known as Papai Noel

(Father Noel), who lives in Greenland, according to

legend. When he arrives in Brazil, he wears silk

clothing because of the summer heat.

• It’s considered bad etiquette to send red Christmas

cards in Japan because funeral notices are

customarily printed in red.

***

Bible Quiz

What’s the name of the angel

who told Mary she would give

birth to God’s Son?

A. Gabriel

B. Raphael

C. Michael

D. Jonathan

Answer: A (See Luke 1:26ff.)

***

Upside down?

Even amid increased secularization, God

makes the core Christmas message known. Take,

for example, the story of a “winter pageant” a

mother attended at her son’s grade school. Songs of

reindeer, snow and Santa included one titled

“Christmas Love,” in which the youngest

performers held up letters as the song progressed:

“C,” “H,” etc.

When a little girl unknowingly held her “M”

upside down, the older kids snickered and the adult

audience smiled acceptingly. But as the song drew

to a close and all the letters were revealed, surprised

recognition struck the Christians in the room.

“CHRISTWAS LOVE,” read the string of

student-borne letters. God’s truth had penetrated the

human clutter and confusion around Christmas —

as it has power to do throughout our lives: “Christ

was love.” And of course, he still is.

***

“Ring Out, Wild Bells”

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,

For those that here we see no more,

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.

—Alfred, Lord Tennyson, from “In Memoriam”

***

Christian symbol

Cedar Tree

A species of evergreen used to

decorate for Christmas, the tall cedar tree

symbolizes Christ’s majesty year-round.

Cedars of Lebanon, which have grown to

130 feet, were known to Old Testament

people. “The trees of the Lord are well

watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he

planted” (Psalm 104:16, NIV). David’s palace and

both Solomon’s palace and temple were built of

cedar wood. The word cedar is found 75 times in

the Bible. Due to its evergreen nature and longevity,

this tree is associated with eternal life and thus

sometimes used in cemetery landscaping.

Christmas Faire December 6, 2014 10AM – 4 PM

Pilgrim Congregational Church

26 West Street, Leominster

Featuring

Mrs. Claus’s Attic, Presents for Pets,

holiday décor, handmade gifts, handmade tree ornaments, ornaments for children to make,

and

relaxing Christmas Tea

featuring freshly made scones and

Christmas cookies