Letter from Lindy Jan 30

Hello Pilgrims,

As 2021 turned its page to 2022, my commitment in this new year was to deepen connection with each of you after six months of you holding me with care as I navigated my own grief. Although grief does not go away, everyday life has a way of holding it alongside so routines and rhythms can begin to be restored.

In my mind’s eye, the thought was once I returned from Orlando, I would be venturing out to meet with more of you than during my autumn pace, which was decidedly slower honoring bandwidth and capacity. Only to return to a spike in infection rates in our community and state, and thus Pilgrim made the decision to move through these weeks with decided caution and care– rightly so. Weather amplified our need to shift to remote for worship, so we dusted off our playbook and entered patterns we thought we had put on the shelf (praying for good, but knowing we could use it in a pinch). We did keep lessons learned over the past two years, recognizing that for many reasons, we have Pilgrims near and far who need to have virtual access to stay connected and engaged. What a wonderful thing to be able to offer as we deepen our understanding of “whoever you are, wherever you are, you are welcome here!”

And now for the next few Sundays, we will stay remote for the good of the whole. Again, this sacrificial gesture from our community radiates our love and care for all. I am so grateful to be a part of a community who brings our confession and witness into daily practice. With all that said, I would not be transparent, nor authentic if I did not confess how weird it feels to enter the covenant of baptism without a congregation surrounding the Miguel family. The covenant, I always imagine, is a three-legged stool for MacKenzie upheld by God, the Migels, and their beloved community, Pilgrim, making promises to her that she will not begin to comprehend for months and years to come.

Maybe that’s ok, because it gives us time to practice day in and day out what it means to show “one of these little ones” how to follow Jesus and find our Way, our Truth, our Lives. I don’t know about you, but I could use the practice, especially after two years of fraying at the edges as a part of beloved community. I need to re-member myself within and to community. Our baptism scripture from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth gives us a roadmap, teaching us our starting place is an invitation to love. As we journey through this 13th chapter, we learn that our love quest is actually an adventure race demanding a multi-disciplinary team to help navigate through unmarked wilderness–no wonder Paul directed this letter to the church. For God calls us to be that very team for MacKenzie, for the Migels, for each other, for anyone who finds their way into our embrace. Our team continually grows and strengthens with the gifts of each member whether we are in person or virtual.

Are you ready to run?

with love,
Pastor Lindy (she/her) why pronouns matter

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