eNews for Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Note from Pastor Judith
“How long, O Lord, how long?” keeps playing in my mind. Familiar words from scripture match these troubling days. The senseless shooting death of yet one more young Black man! Police converging on a car with expired license tabs. There is more to the story, but there always is. There is no sense to be made of any of it. What can we as church do? Is there a role for our Social Justice Team? Are there links that can be established with communities of color in Duluth? Are there conversations that can begin amongst us? I understand that Pilgrim does have a history of tangible connections with diverse communities. What of these present times?
With you on the journey,
PJ
Being the Body
By Talitha Arnold
There was not a needy person among them.—Acts 4:34a (NRSV)
I heard lots of resurrection stories this Lent. Perhaps you did, too. As people got vaccinated, they shared their relief and joy. “It’s a new lease on life,” someone declared. “I can stop being afraid.” “I can see my grandchildren.” “My kids can go back to school.”
How can we not share such good news of new life? The first Christians certainly did. In Acts, whenever they met, “the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” Surely they included their own stories, like Peter’s transformation from a slow-tongued fisherman into a Pentecostal preacher or Mary Magdalene’s experience as the first witness to the Resurrection, the “apostle to the apostles.”
Yet Acts 4:34 doesn’t include such personal testimonies. Instead it tells a community testimony: How the first Christians gave up their possessions, just as Jesus had given up his life for others. How they made sure no one was in need, just as he ensured 5000 hungry people were fed, sick people healed, troubled people comforted and loved.
The new Christian community wasn’t focused on seeing the Risen Body, but on being the Risen Body, doing what he had done. They didn’t just proclaim God’s resurrection power. They became that power by offering new life to others.
Our world needs that resurrection power now more than ever. It also needs the church—my church, your church, all churches—to be an Easter people by giving of ourselves and our possessions. The first Christians knew they were living into God’s new life when no one was in need. That was their plumbline for being the Risen Body of the Risen Christ.
It’s our plumbline, too.
Prayer
Help us, God, to be Resurrection people for the sake of all your people. Amen.
Talitha Arnold is Senior Minister of the United Church of Santa Fe (UCC), Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Church Resumes
From the Church Moderator:
At the March meeting of the Church Council, it was decided that in-person services will resume in the Pilgrim building on Sunday, May 2 at 10:00 am. Live streaming will also take place for those members and guests who prefer to watch the service from home.
Those who attend in-person should:
- Stay home if you feel unwell.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a mask.
- Social distancing will be required. Individuals and family groups may be seated around the sanctuary.
- There will be no congregational singing.
- There will not be nursery care or church school at this time.
- Coffee hour will not be offered.
- Weather permitting, members will be encouraged to visit outside.
Your safety and well-being are important to us! If you are uncomfortable being in the sanctuary at this time, please stay at home and watch the service over Pilgrim’s YouTube channel or Facebook page. We will continue to monitor the CDC for the latest updates on COVID.
Julie Johnson
Keep Duluth Clean
Thank you to everyone who participated in Keep Duluth Clean on Saturday. A big thanks to our church organizers Annika Nielsen, Annelies Schooderman, Grace Beaster and Camilla Beaster. Over 30 gallons of garbage was collected and along with random pieces of wood (enough to build a fort) and an old tire. The most interesting thing found was a full can of beer! The funniest thing was Michaela in the mud. All in all it was good to spend time together outside.
Social Justice Presentation
The Social Justice Ministry made a second hour presentation on the donations that they have made on behalf of Pilgrim Church in this current fiscal year. This 55 minute presentation made on April 11 can be viewed on Youtube. A website that summarizes the donations that have been made by Pilgrim and includes links to the organizations we support can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/social-justice/home.
Sanctuary Update
The carpentry is completed!
CHUM Virtual Spring Assembly
We would like to invite you to the CHUM May Assembly on May 13 from 6:30-8:30 pm, beginning with a 30-minute coffee social time before the meeting which begins at 7:00 pm.
Come join us to get an update on all that is happening at CHUM:
- Executive Director Transition
- The Duluth Inn
- March Minnesota FoodShare Update
- Advocacy Updates
To make sure we have enough Zoom space we will be having a registration this time. You will be given the meeting login after you have registered. Register here.
Volunteers Needed at CHUM
We could not provide our hungry neighbors with good food without you! By donating time, volunteers make a significant difference in the community and to the impact of the Food Shelf’s work and mission. We, and all those we serve, are grateful for volunteers who join us in providing good food in the good fight against hunger.
There are still nearly 1 in 12 Minnesotans that struggle with food insecurity. If all Minnesotans struggling with food insecurity lived in one place, they’d nearly replace the populations of the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul combined, according to Hunger Solutions. You can help your neighbors experiencing hunger.
We are asking for individuals and groups of volunteers to help pack and sort emergency food at the Downtown Food Shelf:
- Mondays 10:00 am-12:00 pm
- Tuesdays 10:00 am-12:00 pm
- Thursdays 10:00 am-12:00 pm
To volunteer, please call the Food Shelf at (218) 727-2391 or email Scott Van Daele.
Please note: Because the COVID-19 vaccination is not 100% effective, all safety guidelines (masks, distancing, etc) are still in effect even if a person has received the vaccine.
A Report from the Minnesota Conference Board of Directors
The MN Conference Board of Directors gathered via Zoom on March 13 for its periodic evaluation of the Conference's ministries, evaluating opportunities, assessing financial reports, and receiving staff updates.
Conference Minister Rev. Shari Prestemon shared an update on the Conference's responses to the pandemic, and noted with gratitude Rev. Dr. Anita Bradshaw's faithful ministry to the Conference, our churches, and the entire UCC. Anita retires in April, and her duties are being shifted to other staff in the near-term, including some designated work in the area of search and call with Rev. Cindy Mueller for a part-time position. Rev. Sheresa Simpson-Rice has agreed to extend her interim term through the calendar year, and a search committee is coming together to recruit Anita's successor.
The Board of Directors also received thanks from the wider United Church of Christ for our sponsorship of General Synod this summer, and from the Truth and Reparations Initiative of the Minnesota Council of Churches. The Conference's grant was instrumental in starting this new program at the MN Council of Churches, and represents part of our efforts to address and repair the harm caused by racism in Minnesota.
Another portion of our meeting included conversation about financial and mission priorities. Consultant Nancy Gaschott advised the Board on strategies for investing the Pilgrim Point Legacy Fund in ways that would support outdoor ministries, racial justice, and other strategic initiatives. The Board set near-term spending and priority guidance for the creation of the annual budget proposal being developed now for June's Annual Meeting, and created a task force to recommend in coming months a preferred strategy for PPLF funds. We also learned that the Conference's PPP loan has been forgiven in full, and closed with gratitude for all the ministry that our staff, donors, congregations and members make possible in Minnesota on behalf of the United Church of Christ.
Sunday Worship at Pilgrim
Join us Sunday at 10:00 am for Sunday Worship at Pilgrim. You can view the service on Pilgrim's YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Salter Hall Zoom:Join us after worship for conversation and fellowship every Sunday at 11:00 am.
Meeting ID: 843 9163 0668
Passcode: 912010
If you have an announcement that you would like read during a Sunday service, please get it to the office or directly to Pastor Judith by Monday each week.
Please send in your prayer requests to include in Sunday services. Send your prayer requests, joys, and concerns to Pastor Judith via email by Friday each week to be included. We will use only first names during the service in order to maintain confidentiality, and your prayer requests will be passed along to Marge Fraser and Pilgrim's Prayer Chain.
In case you missed it, you can view last Sunday's worship service on YouTube.
YouTube views: 23
Facebook reach: 59
Morning Coffee
Wednesdays | 10:00 am
Join Pastor Judith for your morning coffee! We'll have a time for checking in with each other, prayers, and perhaps a brief meditation. Grab the beverage of your choice and join us on Zoom.
Meeting ID: 497 627 641
Passcode: 926781
What Patrick's Listening To
Miss Saigon opened 30 years old this week. And while it's, ahem, problematic, it did give us Lea Salonga. Here's Lea and Liz Callaway singing "I Still Believe" on Broadway in 1991.