Letter from Lindy May 30

Beloved Pilgrims,

Gosh what a wonderful Sunday it was worshipping in person and virtually, with a smallish group on campus, surrounded by nature’s beauty. And yes, it was warm and sunny. Having this first worship service under our belt, we will adjust orientation and seating, so that we can create shade canopies to protect us from the elements. Additionally, we will work to add fans into our setting as the temperatures continue to remain seasonably warm. And more water stations. We will adjust the camera so folks at home can feel better connected to folks on campus. We will remove dangling spiders and webs:) Lessons learned.

Speaking of canopies, if any Pilgrims have canopies that we can use on Sundays, please let Franklin know so we can assess supply versus need. Our plan is to shift the worship space to the brick patio and front parking area, leaving the grassy area for children and running around.

If Susan’s count was correct, we had about 60 pilgrims join in person, with ample room to safely add more. The reopening team has determined that we host as many people as want to join in person, but we ask that you sign up, so that we can assess how many canopies we might need for any given Sunday. We will also shift our worship time earlier to 9:30am which will create more natural shade on the patio and offer us lower temperatures in which to worship. Please mark your calendars. Thank you all to those who filled out the survey. Truly helpful in our planning.

As much as returning to indoor air conditioning was on some of your minds, please hold and heed Emily Norboge’s counsel that we want to gather in the safest, most inclusive way possible, and outdoor settings allow us to do both.

Our summer worship schedule will be from June 1 through the end of August (August having 5 Sundays), alternating between in-person and recorded worship. The 1st and 3rd (and 5th) Sundays of the month, we will build upon last Sunday and grow our in person/hybrid worship experience. The 2nd and 4th Sundays, we will have a recorded worship on YouTube. Labor Day weekend will conclude with a pre-recorded service, with the hope for HOMECOMING on September 12. I pray both experiences continue to feed and nourish your souls. Additionally we have added Vacation Bible School and Pilgrim Song to our summer schedule, so there are many ways for us to connect anew. I hope you will join in.

In June, Sunday School will be held in-person in the Columbarium during the in-person services, and held virtually on pre-recorded Sundays. Virtual Sunday School will not meet virtually on in-person worship days.

On a personal note, thank you all who have reached out to name your love and prayers and support for Lanny and me. I have read into some of your texts and emails a sense of frustration that you cannot do more to help. Thank you for being at the ready. Please know that when I can think of something to ask for, I will. Right now with Lanny in patient, the hospital teams are surrounding us with their care, and we are so grateful as we negotiate new terrain. We are also learning the contours of this journey and slowly becoming aware of what the steps and markers will be. I’m sure we will have many questions as we absorb our new reality. And yet already, we have medical partners who are ever-present to answer them before they even form on our lips. I will do my best to send out weekly prayer updates in addition to this letter, so that your prayers come alongside us.

I am trying to keep some semblance of normalcy, through presence and a schedule on Pilgrim’s campus, but each day is proving to be different as I also try to balance meeting with Lanny’s medical team. I do want to spend time with you as every such encounter brings me such grounding and joy. I have this silly hope that I can do both/and. I am grateful for your grace and understanding.

light and love,
Pastor Lindy (she/her)
whypronouns matter

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