Letter from Lindy Feb 21

My Lenten Co-journeyers,

My delight from texting with Maggie to learn that she and Bill were working on listing their 5 challenges along with our Ash Wednesday invitation. Thank you all who joined in our inaugural lenten worship service. I know our bandwidth ebb is low and one more video, one more zoom meeting, after a day/week packed full of them is hard. I pray when you reach in to experience our offering it touches some part that sustains you, if even just for that moment.

Our weeks to come are filled with wonderful worship opportunities. On February 28, the second Sunday in Lent, we will be graced with the presence and proclamation of Rev. Russell Pierce, Housing for New Hope's Executive Director. Russ came to the helm of this ministry in 2019 and then, well you know how 2020 rolled out, so he has not had the opportunity to meet all of the faith communities dedicated to this ministry. I am thrilled he has capacity to share the good news with us.

The following Sunday, March 7, the third Sunday in Lent, our faithful, amazing Auxiliary will lead us in worship to commemorate International Women's Day. #Challenge to Lead is what Auxiliary does for Pilgrim, so who better to offer us God's challenge in word and song. Even if we are still zoom boxes away, it will fill our hearts to see so many faces and hear so many voices reading, praying, singing, preaching and inviting us to Table. I cannot wait!

One lenten challenge turned intention upon which I have embarked is to pen three lines of poetry a day prompted by a word. Today's word was commitment, coupled with the provocation of the following questions: On pathways to collective flourishing, how does the need for commitment manifest? What threatens your commitments to the claims you make about justice and your values? Who and/or what are you actively committed to?
What does commitment look like, as a practice? Who has been committed to you in and through difficult times? Are you able to articulate your own commitment priorities? Distilling any one of these into a haiku, wow!

But commitment is another lenten challenge of mine to stay the course in deepening our anti-racism and equity work collectively. Monday and Tuesday, I joined in a teach-in with other UCC leaders to begin our learning and certification in Kingian Nonviolence. As we reflected on the principals, steps and application of this life approach, I have been holding an observation from our Associate General Minister and President that she would not name our training as anything other than living into the practices of discipleship. For this work before us is precisely the Way we followers of Jesus have committed our lives to live. What a great Lenten challenge.

More to come.
Pastor Lindy