eNews for Thursday, January 19
My Bailiwick
Dear Pilgrims,
Patrick and I have begun planning for the Lenten Season. Actually, Patrick began his planning long before me, but I am catching up. With the encouragement of the Social Justice Committee, I am planning a Lenten Second Hour series on Justice and Mercy—the twin obligations of Christian discipleship. What are the Biblical roots of these two? How do they connect to each other? Our series will include contact with the UCC Washington, D.C., office with a presentation via zoom with Sandy Sorensen, the Director of our denomination’s legislative advocacy office. We’ll look at injustice issues that continue to plague us. We’ll challenge ourselves to engage more meaningfully in mercy. The prophet Micah will guide us—“What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?”
Above the mantle in my office is a favorite poster from the National Clearing House for the Defense of Battered Women with these words from writer Alice Walker: “I am the woman offering two flowers whose roots are twin—Justice and Hope, Hope and Justice, Let us begin.” When I look at it, my mind automatically substitutes the word mercy for hope. Justice and mercy—mercy and justice—let us begin.
Love to us all,
Carla
P.S. Don’t forget to order your soup!
Souper Bowl
Here is your answer to: "What are we having for dinner?" and "How can I help the Damiano Center?" There are five delicious options for great soup, all prepared by Pilgrims in the Pilgrim kitchen.
- Pastor Carla's Which Chicken Chili
- Steve and Holly's Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
- Indonesian Carrot Soup—a Steve Cushing original
- The Youth Group with Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Anne and Bob's Amazing Gourmet Vegetable Soup
Order by Sunday, February 5, using this order form, paper forms in Salter Hall, or by calling (218) 724-8503. Pick up on Super Bowl Sunday, February 12, at Pilgrim, between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. Each 20 oz container is $10. All the funds raised will go to the Damiano Center. Thank you!
Pilgrim Scholarship
The Pilgrim Scholarship Fund was established by Wally and Hazel Niss and included gifts in memory of Susie Britton. According to Wally, the fund was established to assist one or more students financially during their higher education career. This scholarship is intended for students who were a part of Pilgrim as they were growing up. In 2013, gifts in memory of Patricia Streitz were added to the fund.
Pilgrim offers a scholarship for graduating seniors who are attending a post-secondary institution, an award up to $1500. Eligible recipients must complete an application. Awards are given directly to the educational institution to defray the cost of tuition or room and board. Awards are given to students who are involved in Pilgrim, can explain how Pilgrim has benefitted them and obtain two letters of reference from a Pilgrim who is not a family member.
Puzzle Exchange
Do you need an activity to occupy your time during these cold and snowy Duluth days? If so, a PUZZLE EXCHANGE is just what you need! Visit the Puzzle Exchange table in Salter Hall during the month of February starting Sunday, February 5, through February 28. Members are encouraged to share their new or used puzzles, or not, and take one or more home to enjoy!
Building Updates
If you have had any reason to scan the top of the church’s roof recently you may have noticed a piece of metal sticking up in the air a bit. During the severe wind storm just before Christmas, a portion of our roof’s ridge cap blew loose, and one piece actually fell to the ground. The ridge cap is made up of solid copper sheets that are 24” wide by 72” long and are bent to fit over the peak of the roof to weather seal over the slate roofing.
The roof and ridge cap were replaced new in 2005 so some loosing over time is inevitable.
The contractor who did the roof installation in 2005 was contacted and they responded quickly to review the situation and plan for repairs. At this point the estimated cost to repair and replace damaged pieces is $21,150. The good news/bad news is that Hanover, our insurance carrier, has confirmed replacement coverage for the repairs and as of this morning has actually put a check in the mail&mdashlthe bad news is that our Property policy carries a $10,000 deductible. So, we will be taking an unanticipated $10,000 hit on our Capital Funds account. We have the funds, but Building & Finance was hoping those funds could be used to do some other deferred maintenance projects in 2023. Some non-essential items will have to be put on the back burner for a while.
Commercial Roofing has ordered new copper sheeting so repairs will have to wait until that material arrives in the next couple of weeks. What will happen once their crew is ready to go up on the roof is that we have a snow removal contractor that will open a wide lane across the lawn to the Fourth Street side of the building. Precautions are being taken to minimize damage to the lawn. Once the lane is cleared, Commercial will bring in an aerial lift device to get the crew on the roof. Actual repair time will be short. Of course, beyond receiving the parts, repairs will have to be done when the weather permits.
If you have any questions, please contact either Bob or myself.
Bob Heller, Chair, Building & Finance Committee
Jon Welles, Building Manager
CHUM News
Shelter Expansion
At the end of last year, CHUM was awarded a federal grant of $2 million to expand its shelter. Learn more here.
Call for State Investment
At a Press Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, with Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, CHUM's executive director John Cole called for our State legislature to fund shelter solutions addressing homelessness in the Northern region.
Pilgrim Calendar
| This Week at Pilgrim | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, January 22 | 9:00 am | Pilgrim Choir |
| 10:00 am | Sunday Worship | |
| 11:00 am | Coffee Hour | |
| Monday, January 23 | 8:30 am | Damiano |
| Tuesday, January 24 | 6:00 pm | Church Council |
| Wednesday, January 25 | 3:45 pm | Bellissimo |
| 5:00 pm | Pilgrim Choir | |
| 7:00 pm | Pilgrim Youth Group | |
| Thursday, January 26 | 5:00 pm | Worship & Arts |
| Sunday, January 29 | 10:00 am | Sunday Worship |
| 11:00 am | Coffee Hour |
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 Sunday's bulletin here.
This Sunday's scripture readings:
- Isaiah 9:1-4
- Matthew 4:12-23
In case you missed it, you can view last Sunday's service on YouTube.
Attendance: 57
YouTube views: 22
Show Us Your Walks
From Peter Fifield, some views from his holiday trip to Duluth
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
Two settings of a Latin hymn, Ubi caritas et amor. First, Maurice Duruflé's famous setting sung by a really excellent French choir, and Morten Lauridsen's lovely modern setting by a Croatian chamber choir.