November 17, 2006

A Personal Pilgrim

We all know the story of the Pilgrims and their arrival in America on the Mayflower.  From childhood, we have recounted on school stages and in feasts how the Native Americans helped the English colonists to survive the brutal Massachusetts winter, the simple meal they shared together, and their faith and trust in God that provided the inspiration for our national Thanksgiving holiday.

For me, Thanksgiving always brings memories of my (great) Uncle Ben.  He brought me my first Parcheesi board and taught me how to be a good sport when he captured my pieces and sent them back home, accompanied by sparkling eyes and a fiendish laugh.  He showed me how to find shark teeth on the beach.  He cooked boil-in-a-bag meals.  He gave me a copy of Gray’s Anatomy as the first volume of my medical school library.  He loved life and loved me.  And when he died, he was buried with his Pilgrim ancestors in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

You see, Benjamin Gooding Proctor (1905-1983) was the great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great-grandson of Captain Miles Standish, military captain of the Pilgrim community in Massachusetts.  Uncle Ben infused his love of heritage into me through his passion and the investment he made into knowing and loving me.  When Clifford and I began to discuss names for our future children, I was not fervent about having a namesake—only passionate about using the name Miles. 

When we take our family trip to New England next summer, Plymouth Rock and the graves of Uncle Ben and Miles Standish will be an important part of that journey.  In the meantime, whenever someone takes my game piece with a twinkle in her eye, whenever young children dress up to tell the Pilgrims’ story, or whenever I have the privilege of sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner, Benjamin, child of God, remains in my mind and in my heart.     

J. Derek Harbin, priest   

Around Beloved…Beloved’s Worker Bees (youth group for ages 9-12) will meet to shop and prepare gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child this Saturday from 1-3pm at Beloved Garden.  Beloved’s metamorphosis (youth group for ages 12-15) will be working in the Operation Christmas Child Warehouse preparing boxes for shipment overseas this Saturday from 6:30-10:30pm.  There are slots available for adults in the congregation to assist in these wonderful ministries.  Please join us!  To volunteer, click here.  Each group will also have a movie night the first weekend on December (12/01 and 12/02).  For more details, please see the calendar.

Don’t miss Sunday night’s Simon Evening of Giving!  If you don’t have a ticket, they can be purchased at the entrances to SouthPark Mall.  This will be the final day to buy Plasma TV raffle tickets.  The winner will be drawn at Beloved Garden the following day at noon.  Someone will be enjoying the holiday football games on their new television!  All proceeds from Simon and the TV Raffle fund the Divine Provision portion of Beloved’s budget.  Thanks so much to Kris Leinenkugel and Fred Mellon who have been coordinating these efforts.

The Beloved Beehive (Sunday Christian Formation) for adults and children will meet for an intergenerational event this week following worship and hospitality and will take a break next week for the Thanksgiving holidays.

This year’s Community Thanksgiving Communion Service will be held at Jonesville AME Zion Church (5527 Ballantyne Commons Parkway) on Tuesday, November 21 at 7pm.  Our congregation will join Jonesville AME Zion, Big Pineville AME Zion, St. Francis United Methodist, Light of Christ and Providence Presbyterian as we give thanks for our many blessings.  Fr. Derek will be preacher for this year’s celebration.  The offering will be designated to assist Jonesville to repair recent vandalism to their facility.  A reception will follow.

Operation Christmas Child…Church of the Beloved is once again participating in Operation Christmas Child, sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse.  This program provides a shoebox for a child who lives in poverty somewhere in the world – and as a gift at Christmas – sends the hope that Jesus brings into the world in a hands-on project.

As the Thanksgiving season approaches, may God’s Holy Spirit send us a sense of peace and calm – and may we feel drawn more closely to the young person we have chosen.  At the week winds down and last minute additions are made to the shoe box, pray for our youth and adults who will work at the warehouse Saturday from 7-10 pm. May the Holy Spirit move in and through us!

– Deb Blackwood, deacon

We will collect these shoeboxes, bless them and then take them to the Samaritan’s Purse warehouse this Sunday, November 19^th.  For more information on how to pack your box, click here.

Serving at God’s Altar this Sunday (11/19)…Angel Army Team 1 (Captain: Wes Nichols; Administrator: Martha Stone; Pastor: Catherine Atwood; Convener: Toni Reif); Acolytes: Rebecca Berkeley, Kate Copeland, JR West; Altar Bread Baker: Kris Leinenkugel; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Kris Leinenkugel & Betsy Fox; Offertory Basket Passers: Jack Hartman, Gerry Hartman, Jennifer Elyea, Joseph Elyea; PowerPoint: Paige Wilson; Presenters: Dick & Toni Reif; Reader: Susan Miller.

November 19 Scripture Readings…Daniel 12:1-4a & Mark 13:14-23

Serving at God’s Altar next Sunday (11/26)…Angel Army Team 2 (Captain: this ministry is available; Interim Administrator: Holly Scheppegrell; Pastor: this ministry is available; Convener: Al Krantz); Acolytes: Adam Burnett, Holly Burnett, Daniel Dygowski, Raquanza Miller; Altar Bread Baker: Janis Conlon; Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Wes Nichols & Bud Moore; Offertory Basket Passers: Ryan Cook, Connor King, Emily Scheppegrell, Allie Seidel; PowerPoint: Mitchell Harbin; Presenters: Ben Copeland, Kate Copeland, Jennifer Sanders; Reader: Anna Moore.

November 26 Scripture Readings…Revelation 1:1-8 & John 18:33-37

In our Prayers…those who travel over the Thanksgiving holidays…Emily, Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter who was recently hospitalized...Benjamin Doyon’s physical therapy…Connie Johnson, wife of our former bishop, who is recovering from breast cancer surgery…Michel Parent, Catherine Atwood’s father who has Alzheimer’s Disease… those serving in Iraq, especially Bob, Clifford King Harbin‘s nephew, Jared, Wes and Michele Nichols’ nephew; Ron, Marilyn Doyon‘s brother-in-law and Dan and Deb Blackwood’s niece...Palmer, Betsy Fox’s teenage cousin who is fighting leukemia…Jessie Powell, Janie Lownes and the Morley family... Bertie, Bonnie Lowder’s mother who is unable to speak and the doctors are unclear about the diagnosis… Dick Reif's parents who are in declining health in Oklahoma Ed and Jean…Bucky, Sherrill Lowder's neighbor, who has lung cancer… Jacqui, niece of Deb and Dan Blackwood who is fighting breast cancer...Harriett, Kathy Raynor‘s mother who has cancer...Penny Crawford and Chris Morley as they seek permanent employment...the staff and students of Community House Middle School.

Upcoming Calendar… click here