A Letter from Lindy April 12

Hello Pilgrims,

Whew! We made it to Easter. Given how busy the following week has been, I have to remind myself to look in the rearview mirror to see that resurrection truly happened, but four days prior to me penning this note. It’s too easy to return our noses to the grindstone, letting God’s unequivocal declaration of love and grace and mercy slip from our view. I hope like me, you’d rather stay in the garden with Mary. My prayer is we find ways to kindle each other’s belovedness, just as Jesus did her, so as to shore us up amidst the bewildering storms of life. When the skies threaten, and the downpour torrential, let us be each other’s umbrella.

A way to catch glimpses of sunshine amidst the cloud cover is to reorient our hearts toward gratitude. Starting with a huge thank you to Hannah Hansard for the yeoman’s lift she carried throughout lent, but specifically Palm Sunday to Easter. I’ve named before that our high holy days bring forth a considerably heavier workload, and this year is no exception. From the pews, you might not see it because Hannah makes the work feel so simple and straightforward. It is not. Let us remind her how much we appreciate all of the ways she faithfully serves this church with positivity and joy.

Pilgrim’s heavier workload extends also to our music ministry during these sacred days. The demands on our music team and choir are constant, and then to add a Cantata?! Well, need I say more?! As I named Sunday, I marvel at the giftedness of Ali and Kyle, along with the choir every week, and on Easter, they left it all on the field. Talk about palpably feeling the power of the spirit, it held us with every note!

Let’s keep our attitude for gratitude going with our tech, flower, and fellowship teams who say yes at every turn to help make Sundays incredibly and seamlessly hum through each of their respective ministries. Quietly and unobtrusively showing up, serving, enhancing our Sundays so they feel special from start to finish. The way in which we linger, long after the postlude, in conversation and fellowship, shows me just how special we think the people of Pilgrim are. Let me lift up in particular Jeff Sailstad and his team of breakfast makers because our Easter offering was a perfect bridge between the two services. I know there were many hands that I hope made light work. So again, our heartfelt thanks!

Meeting with the Nominating Committee this week as we began our initial conversations about the work before them, together we sang the praises of our Board of Deacons. Wow! How integral they are to our Sunday success 52 weeks of the year, and then some. The and then some is no more on display than Holy Week. For those who joined our extraordinary Maundy Thursday service, give your deacons a hug because they were the drivers of this worship bus. The care with which they thought about every detail, unbelievable. I wish I had recorded the conversations just to share how seriously they take their responsibilities. And then 3 days later, doing it again twice over for Easter. These are demanding worship responsibilities, all while trying to stay connected with the members in their care groups and building community to boot. Gosh, their plate is overflowing with demand for their time and attention. And somehow, they seem to meet the need.

Sadly I never made it out to the Easter Egg Hunt as I got pulled into an unexpected meeting, but I heard through the grapevine that even the rain could not stop the giggles and wiggles of our youngest. Shepherded by our Board of Christian Education each year, they infuse our Easter with fun and joy to our delight. And that is but a glimpse of their work. More seriously, they created sacred space throughout Lent for conversation and care in small groups, making budding theologians of us all. Such a good group to entrust Greyson into their leadership and care.

And none of these events could have happened without the faithful care of our Trustees. The manner in which they steward our resources of place, time and money reflects the love they have for each and every one of you. Their invitation for us to join in their efforts helps remind us that God calls each of us to be stewards in our place and time. Grateful am I that we have such good models to follow. Let me  make a plug that you will have a special opportunity to respond to their invitation on Sunday, April 26 when we lean into our yearly Worship Work Sunday. Stay tuned!

I know I’ve only named staff, boards, and committees in this love letter to Pilgrim, and yet there are countless others who give of themselves to help us be beloved community. My sincere apology for limiting this letter so that it fits on the page by not naming everyone I can think of. I am sure even if I even attempted to do just that, I would invariably leave someone off which would break my heart. So please hear, from the depths of my soul, how grateful I am to be resurrecting with you.

grace and peace,

Pastor Lindy

(she/her)  Pronouns matter