A Letter from Lindy Nov 30

Dear Pilgrims,

I write this note on Friday, praying that your Thanksgiving gathered the people you love together. With the table cleared and leftovers put away, we turn this weekend to the season of Advent. And, of course, our entry includes the Hanging of the Greens and Adventfest this Sunday. I love our rituals and our traditions and look forward to sharing a bowl of soup that will nourish our souls for the journey ahead.

I also deeply appreciate our Advent theme, precisely because the question feels so on point this year: What do you fear? Insisting on hope this Advent. Sanctified Art, the creative team that provides our liturgical resources reminds us that  Luke’s Gospel begins the story of Jesus with this opening line: “In the time of Herod…” A detail, they say, may seem minor to modern readers, but reveals layers of information about the fearful world Jesus entered, one filled with rampant oppression, economic disparity, uncertainty, and instability. A world not so unlike our own. 

And yet, throughout the stories of Christ’s birth, the whispers of angels deliver a surprising message: “Do not fear.” In our own time, we might ask: is it even possible to be fearless in a fearful world? When Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the magi are each called into God’s redemptive story, they do not deny their fears—they move through them. They ask questions, hold fast to courage, trust in good news, and say, “Here I am, Lord.” When we find ourselves in fearful times, can we acknowledge our fears while also insisting on hope? My prayer is that we hold this question close through our Advent journey.

Along with this Sunday's festivities, our weeks will include Pilgrim’s Alternative Giving Market, the second Sunday of Advent; Pilgrim’s Christmas Cantata, the third Sunday of Advent; and our children’s Christmas pageant, the fourth Sunday of Advent. Christmas Eve will bring forth our lessons and carols. The Sunday after Christmas, we will gather for worship in fellowship hall around tables. My hope is that we will all bring sweet treats to share as we discuss how our fear can fuel the fire for justice. Our Christmas season will conclude with an Epiphany celebration, holding tight to the reins, accompanying those wise astrologers from the East, not letting fear stop us.

A special note: We are adding a wonderful experience this year for the Winter Solstice and our Longest Night Service on Sunday, December 21 at 4pm. We are delighted to welcome Jaclyn Jewett who will immerse us in a sound bath, long after the sheep, and their many animal friends, leave our sanctuary manger. Curious about what a sound bath is? More to come in subsequent newsletters--for now just mark your calendars, so you have a place holder amidst a busy season.

I look forward to this journey with you in which we take seriously the angels’ message and trust that Christ’s birth truly is good news of great joy for all people.

grace and peace,

Pastor Lindy

(she/her) why pronouns matter