A Letter from Lindy Aug 25

Welcome back Pilgrims!

This being the standard greeting for a Homecoming. I had to laugh when Suzanne Tyler Stock, chair of our Deacon Board, messaged me after I affirmed the inclusion of the “blessing the backpacks” as part of our celebration. “Who decided (and why) the 25th was Homecoming?” she asked.

With chagrin, although we’d been announcing it for a few weeks, I confessed that we made the decision during a staff meeting early August for no other reason than calendar gymnastics. The date itself held no commemorative importance. When we looked at our September schedule, we realized it was already packed. So we justified the 25th by noting the date was close to the start of the public school year–or as close as we could get, hence the backpack blessing, and before our Sunday School kick-off.

But Suzanne’s underlying question felt important–What do we understand “Homecoming” to mean as a faith community? She posed this question to Council a year ago and got a myriad of answers, from “nothing” to “when I was growing up, it meant…” The Deacons then embarked on a journey to define and potentially rename Pilgrim’s restarting of the programmatic and Sunday School year after a summer break, even if it didn’t feel like a break for some. Given the demands on their full plate, that conversation never came to a concrete conclusion that defined our direction, hence her surprise.

My introduction to Pilgrim’s homecoming was in 2017 when I was welcomed into your embrace to share this journey with you. After two years of interim wandering, a group of Pilgrims thought it would be a wonderful idea to have a time when Pilgrims, far and wide, were welcomed back to a weekend of festivities to meet the new Pastor. We had a spaghetti dinner, an auction on Saturday and then a festive worship service on Sunday. The pews were full, the chorus rose to the rafters, and there was a palpable sense of joy, hope and expectation throughout. I, for one, delighted in this sense of community, reaffirming how right it was to be a part.

Whatever we call it, I believe creating such an experience is good for the heart and soul. Stepping in as always, stepping back in anew, or stepping in for the first time to a place where you are beloved through the embrace of holy community makes us feel seen. My conviction is that in our being claimed by community, we come to know we are also claimed by a God who loves and cherishes every fiber of our being. That is always my prayer for each of us.

So come, join us Sunday. We have fun, festive, meaningful ways for you to be a part of this beloved community.

Pastor Lindy

(she/her) why pronouns matter