A Posting from Pastor Lindy Oct 11

Hi Pilgrims,

I write to you from Orlando where we have been celebrating a big birthday. No longer classified as a baby or a toddler, 5 marks the speeding of a train that will move faster than my daughter or son-in-law can possibly imagine. As my daughter entered Lennox’s room birthday morning, wide awake, sitting upright in bed, she announced, “I’m 5!!” And so the festivities began at 6am.

As immersed as I am in the busy-ness of their daily lives here, I am keeping an eye on the weather, as a late season hurricane has developed in the Gulf. The current forecast has Isaias making landfall Friday morning somewhere near the Panhandle and/or Gulfshores area with a trajectory straight north. My Florida memory muscle has kicked back reminding me not to hold any prediction tightly, for it can change instantly. In checking in with Hannah and Greyson this morning, we planned for a contingency if my Saturday flight gets delayed. Here’s hoping the plans are for not.

I want to take this space to invite you to save the date if you are interested in joining a deacon conversation about spiritual care. Specifically a discussion centered around best practices when those we care about face the inevitable twists and turns of life on the way as we journey within our church community. How might we respond in authentic, intentional ways? What actions are beyond our capacity? When might our “help” feel intrusive or unwelcome? How do we set healthy boundaries? How do we hold with care the tumult of emotions and/or our sense of inadequacy when we cannot fix what is wrong? These are but a few of the questions we will explore with Rev. J. Stuart Harrell,  Board Certified Chaplain and ACPE Certified Educator who serves as the Program Director of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at the Durham VA Health Care System in North Carolina. 

Some may remember Stuart from his ordination at Pilgrim, others may have gotten to know him (and his partner Brian) from their more recent worshipping with us quarterly over the past few years. However you have come to know him, we are delighted in Stuart’s willingness to help Pilgrim deepen our care for those with whom we are in community. Certainly, given the role of the board of Deacons, this conversation will be deacon-centered, but the practices apply to any Pilgrim who comes alongside those needing care and wonders how to do so well.

Stuart will join us in worship on Sunday, November 22 and then lead  a teach-in from 12-2. We will plan to have sandwich fixings for those who gather, so we’d like to get an approximate count so we can plan accordingly. Look for a sign up sheet in the coming weeks. 

Grateful for the wonderful people the Holy puts on our path of being beloved community.

as always, Pastor Lindy

(she/her)Pronouns matter