By Wendy Morical
I have been a part of Pilgrim UCC for thirty-three years this winter, having experienced my first service on Christmas Eve, 1990. One of the best things about this church community is how interesting and diverse its congregants are. Have a conversation with anyone you encounter after service, and you will discover they have past experiences, current activities or plans for the future that will surprise, inspire and impress you. In the soon-to-be-released Visioning Survey results, the data reveal that the most common response to the question about what keeps individuals at Pilgrim was some form of acknowledgement of the warm, fun, inspiring and caring people that comprise our church family.
Last Sunday was a beautiful, misty, soft fall day. The altar was sporting new fall décor, and the leaves outside our Sanctuary window had begun their miracle of transformation, showing red and yellow through the purple (!) glass. It was wonderful to share the joy of worship with friends old and new – and those I’ve yet to meet. For me, the service felt like a pivot point in the year, turning toward the cozy season. As our summer schedules subside and our days focus down to a smaller allotment of productive energy, it’s increasingly heartening to contemplate the weekly opportunity worship gives us to come together and lift one another’s spirits.
The book sale kicked off this week, leading up to the big October Rummage Sale later this month. Readers of every stripe gathered around the tables, swapping suggestions of authors and titles. The hallway was alive with laughter and chatter. The books on display, a delightfully eclectic collection, are ones that your friends have read and passed along, hoping that someone else can have the joy of a good read. Many of them have actually traveled from one Pilgrim to the sale, home with another Pilgrim, back to the Book Sale, and on into another Pilgrim’s home!
I thank God for Lloyd Ann McMahan’s leadership of the book ministry over the years. I am grateful for the bonding the book sale ritual creates in our church family. I give thanks that winter, the serious book-reading season, is coming to our valley. Enjoy!
