A Letter from Lindy March 22

Hello Pilgrims,

It’s hard to believe that we are ten days away from Holy Week! Where has Lent gone? I pray that your small group conversations have created sacred space that allows for meaningful conversation that grounds you amidst the world’s turmoil. We need these communal breathing places that keep us connected to each other and to God. Spaces that remind us of the Holy’s moral arc that bends toward justice. An arc filled with hope and peace. Especially when love and grace feel out of reach, we need to catch glimpses of their possibility and presence in our lives.

My hope is that our worship from Palm Sunday to Easter will gift us with a holy week’s worth of buoyancy. Opportunities to draw ever nearer to God’s embrace. We will join Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, waving our psalm and laying our cloaks to prepare his way. I can think of no greater celebratory act than to surround the baptismal font with parents who are entrusting us to help teach their children what it means to follow Jesus.   And that we will do Palm Sunday with and for Asa McCann and Ramona Williams. My prayer is that spirits will be filled with joy as we then join the thousands in ‘crop walking’ to eradicate hunger in our community and beyond.

We will gather again on Maundy Thursday at 5:30pm for an immersive, experiential reading from the evening Jesus and his disciples gathered together for their last supper. Grateful am I for the creativity of Carol Rawls, Dee Sailstad and Lee Sorenson who helped me imagine this worship service. Some tidbits to tempt your curiosity. We will be outside. You will need an outdoor chair (if you have one). All are welcome. For any who have participated in the Frederick Douglass Community Reading at Stagville, you have a window into our evening. Whether you have or haven’t, I hope you are intrigued enough to come.

Easter Sunday will greet us at Pilgrim’s sunrise, 8am, in the Columbarium to welcome resurrection into our lives. We will break bread and share in the cup of the covenant together. We will then move into fellowship hall at 9am to break fast–a light continental meal prepared by a group of dedicated Pilgrims for our delight. After breakfast, we will gather for our Easter Cantata at 10:30am, where our choir's voices will lift us, as only music can, with Jesus to God’s holy embrace. Filled with the spirit, we will then let our children loose for an Easter Egg Hunt with goodies for all.

As always Pilgrim, these worship services are meant to welcome everyone. They are meant to breathe in us the Breath of God, so that we are filled anew, to love the way God loves and do what God would do.

grace and peace,

Pastor Lindy

(she/her)  Pronouns matter