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My Bailiwick
Dear Pilgrims,
It’s difficult to write a cheery note today, reeling as we are from the unimaginable tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, so close on the heels of the unimaginable tragedy in Buffalo, N.Y. Tragedy after tragedy—I am furious and so very sad, but I refuse to lose hope. There will come a tipping point—I can’t imagine children killed in an elementary school wasn’t the tipping point ten years ago in Conn., and I’m pretty sure it won’t be from Buffalo or Texas, but someday, our nation will come to its senses about guns.
When I came to Pilgrim, I made a personal commitment to focus my energy and attention to the workings of our beloved church for at least the first full year, before reconnecting with several of the justice efforts that have been close to my heart for many, many years. Life doesn’t tend to give us such clean increments of duty. Neither does God. So, I’ll be exploring gun violence prevention work here in Duluth sooner rather than later. Those of you who are already involved, please tell me what you are doing and who you are doing it with? Everytown? Moms Demand Action? The Gifford Center? Coalition to Stop Gun Violence? The Violence Policy Center? Sandy Hook Promise?
As I watched Coach Cheryl Reeve interviewed before the last Lynx game, I cried with her when she said, “It isn’t a matter if it will happen here. It’s a matter of when.” I don’t want to wait for that terrible day to prevent it from happening again.
Carla
Sunday School News
The last day of Sunday school will be Sunday, June 5, followed by an ice cream social at church. Thank you to everyone who participated this year.
The nursery will be open for all ages throughout the summer.
Vacation Bible School
June 13-15
Vacation Bible School will be held June 13-15 at Pilgrim. This will be hosted by the older youth and adult Pilgrims. If you are interested or know of friends or neighbors who might be interested, please help to spread the word.
This flyer has more information about VBS—look for the schedule on page two.
This google form is the official signup and includes requests for allergy info, etc.
Youth Group News
The youth group has been busy painting the youth room at Pilgrim, learning about food insecurity in Duluth, and planning their mission trip June 13-16. We will be gardening on Wednesday, June 1, and hoping to grow fresh produce that will feed people with food insecurity in Duluth. Contact Cindy Grindy for more information.
We will be participating in a mission trip June 13-16. June 13 and 14 and the morning of the June 15, we will be in Duluth. In the afternoon of June 15, we will head to the Twin Cities to participate in Feed My Starving Children and then we will camp out at Lake Elmo Park Reserve for Wednesday night. All youth who are starting grade six in the fall and above are welcome to join us. Younger youth who bring a parent are also welcome. We will be home by lunch time on Thursday, June 16. Please encourage your children, neighbors, and friends to participate! Here is the registration form.
Youth Room Needs
The Pilgrim youth have been busy energetically repainting their room. (Ask Pastor Carla!) It looks awesome. They are looking for fun, large games that would make the room a special place. Do you have or know where we could get a foosball table or an air hockey table or a ping pong table at a reasonable price? Please let Cindy Grindy know. Thank you!
Pilgrim Book Club
For June, Pilgrim Women’s Book Club will be reading Louise Erdrich’s book The Birchbark House. This is the story of an eight-year-old Anishinaabe girl and her family set in 1847 near Lake Superior. The Birchbark House was a finalist for the National Young Adult fiction award in 2000. This book is the first in a series of five. Some have suggested this series is a counter point to the The Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Anyone interested in learning more about the Anishinaabe culture will find this an authentic and historically accurate read.
Stop in the office and sign out a copy, and then join us on Monday, June 13, at 4:00 pm via Zoom.
Community Choir for Clayton, Jackson, McGhie
First Lutheran Church and choir director Michael Fuchs are hosting a community choir event in remembrance of the Clayton, Jackson, and McGhie lynchings in Duluth on June 15, 1920. The event will include a performance of the Seven Last Words of the Unarmed by Joel Thompson, on Wednesday, June 15, at 7:00 pm.
The piece sets the final words of Kenneth Chamberlain, Trayvon Martin, Amadou Diallo, Michael Brown, Oscar Grant, John Crawford, and Eric Garner to music. Thompson wrote the piece as a way to process his own grief in the aftermath of the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. It was premiered and recorded in 2015 by the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club, under the direction of Dr. Eugene Rogers, and has since become an important part of the American musical landscape, receiving both acclaim and backlash. It has been performed across the country, including by the Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis.
The choir will rehearse on June 12, 13, and 14 at 7:00 pm. If you'd like to join, please contact Michael Fuchs for more information.
Calendar
| This Week at Pilgrim | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, May 29 | 10:00 am | Sunday Worship |
| 11:00 am | Coffee Hour | |
| Monday, May 30 | Memorial Day—Office Closed | |
| Wednesday, June 1 | 5:15 pm | Pilgrim Choir |
| 7:00 pm | Pilgrim Youth Group | |
| Sunday, June 5 | 10:00 am | Sunday Worship |
| 10:00 am | Last Day of Sunday School | |
| 11:00 am | Ice Cream Social | |
| 11:30 am | Second Hour: How Does a Piano Work? |
Sunday Worship at Pilgrim
Join us Sunday at 10:00 am for Sunday Worship at Pilgrim, in person or online. You can view the service on Pilgrim's YouTube channel.
You can download a Bulletin here.
This Sunday's scripture reading:
- Psalm 46
In case you missed it, you can view last Sunday's worship service on YouTube.
Attendance: 48
YouTube views: 37
Show Us Your Walks
Azaleas in New York, from Peter Fifield
We're lucky to live in a community with so much beauty and access to nature. Send Patrick your photos to share your walks with us in future emails!
What Patrick's Listening To
This one's a little different from my usual nonsense. A documentary, Note by Note: The Making of Steinway. This one is fun!