Letter from Lindy Feb 20

Hello Pilgrims,

As much as I try to keep our focus in the present, I want to direct your attention to Lent.

I know, I know, we are still in February, Valentine’s Day just celebrated, you groan. Truth be told, many times Lent begins in February– Epiphany season decidedly abbreviated. Not this year, as Ash Wednesday, our entry into our lenten journey, is March 2, culminating on Easter, April 17. Gosh, that still feels a distance away as our days lengthen and time continues to move at a quasi-pandemic pace.

But in church planning, that is two short weeks away. And hard to plan for with the constantly changing news about what feels safe and/or not in our gathering. With the imposition of ashes drawing us into closest proximity of a hair's breadth away actually, as our foreheads get marked with glitter/ash, I am mindful that our community finds itself in different places of comfort.

Wanting us to enter this season together, the worship team has deferred to our pandemic mantra of being as inclusive as possible, while also trying to re-member Pilgrim as beloved community. What the heck am I trying to say? We are going to take a step beyond our pre-recorded service of 2021 with you imposing ashes upon yourself and loved ones in your pod, while we did so on camera. We have recorded an at-home worship experience for your entry into this season. I hope you have collected a Lenten packet to join in the journey. And we will offer “drive-by” glitter/ash imposition at Pilgrim three times (7-8am, 12n-1pm; 5:30pm-6:30pm) throughout the day in the hopes one of them will fit within the rhythm of your daily routine. This way we can also connect physically on campus.

I hope this ritual will allow us to orient ourselves for the road ahead. I pray you will join us.

I also wanted to write to those who expressed interest in joining me in experiencing tapping into where wherever you are in grieving and loss through grief yoga. Not just grief through death, but grief through job loss, relationship loss, pandemic loss or whatever else has brought it forth. Any and all are welcome. With the wonderful work the Board of Christian Education has put into our Lenten series, I want to create sacred space for folx to participate in that first. Our bandwidth needs space to grow, so I will begin grief yoga after Easter. I will keep you posted about dates and times.

with love,
Pastor Lindy (she/her)whypronouns matter

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