Advent Expectations

The Christian church sets aside the four weeks prior to Christmas as a time for anticipation and preparation, not only for the upcoming Christmas holiday, but for new realizations about one's own life.  The Biblical texts at the beginning of Advent are about human yearning for the end time when God promises justice and peace.  As the church moves closer to Christmas, the texts begin to focus on what we can do, here and now, to move toward a more just life.  Then on Christmas Eve, we celebrate the birth of one who gave the world new visions of a just society.

At Pilgrim, every Sunday during Advent has its own character and joy.

November 30 we will hang the greens during worship--literally decorating the sanctuary during the service of poetry and song, story and drama.  It's a wonderful introduction to the season.

December 7 we will celebrate with Holy Communion and Advent hymns.  After worship, we will gather in Fellowship Hall for lunch and our Annual Advent Workshop.  There will be opportunities to make decorations and ornaments for home as well as a small craft market by Pilgrim members.

December 14 the Pilgrim Choir will present Conrad Susa's Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest, accompanied by harp and marimba.  The Carols and Lullabies are from various Spanish and Hispanic traditions.  Handicrafts from Guatemala will be on sale during the coffee hour to help fund a service learning trip next summer.

December 21 will be an intergenerational re-telling of the nativity story by the animals who were in the stable that first Christmas.  Pilgrim's Handbell Choir, Bellissimo, will play.  This is a light-hearted look at Christmas.

Christmas Eve worship will be held at 5:00 and 10:00 on Christmas Eve.  Both services will feature carol singing and candlelight.

December 28 we will listen to personal Christmas stories around the theme, "I Remember Christmas." Our own stories are poignant and powerful.

Enjoy any or all of our holiday services at 10:00 on Sunday morning or watch our broadcast Wednesday or Thursday on PACT-TV (cable channel 180.)  Check our Facebook page for pictures and video clips.

Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship

Tuesday evening, November 25, at 7:00 p.m. congregations and faith communities will gather at Pilgrim Congregational Church UCC for an evening of giving thanks.  The service includes choral music, prayers and readings from a variety of faith traditions.  Participating congregations are Peace UCC, Pilgrim Congregational UCC, Hope United Methodist, First United Methodist, Temple Israel, Duluth-Superior Friends Meeting, Twin Ports Islamic Center, St. Paul's Episcopal, Glen Avon Presbyterian, and the Universalist Unitarian Congregation of Duluth.  The public is invited.

A free will offering will be taken as part of the service with donations going to support CHUM, an interfaith agency supported by these and other congregations in Duluth.

Spooktacular Organ Recital--Friday, October 31, 7:00 p.m.

Enjoy an hour of horrifying, bone-chilling music at Pilgrim Congregational Church.  Rachael Kresha, Director of Music will play a variety of music on the Jaekel organ.  An AGO Scholarship Student will help terrify you with every note.  The only charge is a  free will donation to the Arrowhead Chapter of Organists Scholarship Fund.

25th Anniversary Organ Recital and Service

During the weekend of September 19-21, Pilgrim Congregational Church in Duluth will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its locally built, world renowned Jaeckel organ.

On Friday evening, at 7:00, Dr. Jesse Eschbach will play a recital of varied works.  Dr. Eschbach teaches at the College of Music, University of North Texas and was a consultant to Pilgrim Church when the organ was designed and built.  The recital will include works by Buxtehude, Bach, Couperin, Harlos, Alain, and Dupre.  Tickets are $10 and available at the door.

On Sunday morning, at 10:00, Dr. Arthur Clyde, former United Church of Christ National Minister for Liturgics, Music and Art will lead worship.  The service will include hymns and organ music, a demonstration of organ pipes, and sung Scripture.  Clyde's sermon is entitled, "A Voice Through the Ages."

Additional events during the weekend include an organ master class taught by Eschbach at 10:00 on Saturday morning and an adult education hour in the organ loft on Sunday at 11:30.  The adult education hour will include demonstrations of the organ by Ms. Rachael Kresha, Pilgrim's current Director of Music and Organist.

Pilgrim's Jaeckel organ has been featured on Pipedreams, a program of organ music by American Public Media. The organ was built by local organ builder, Dan Jaeckel.   For more information on the organ itself, click here.

In Remembrance of the Saints

Blest are they that dwell within Thy house. They praise Thy name evermore. Psalm 84:4

On Sunday, November 3, Pilgrim will remember members and friends of the congregation who died in the past year.

The Concert Choir from the College of St. Scholastica will join the Pilgrim Choir in singing Requiem by Eliza Gilkyson and How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place by Johannes Brahms.  The service will include poems and prayers of remembrance as well as the Sacrament of Holy Communion which celebrates our continued connection with those who have departed this life.  The choirs sing under the direction of Dr. Bret Amundson and are accompanied by Pilgrim's Director of Music, Rachael Kresha.

Candles will be lighted in memory of the following members and friends of Pilgrim:

Joan Logan
Pearl Fuller

John Hoff

Phyllis Johnson

Francis Leek

Mary Jane Owens

Patricia Streitz

Billie Marie Johnson

Orvin Hieb

            and others whom we each hold dear in our hearts.

Worship begins at 10:00 a.m.  Children worship with adults for the opening portion of the service and then go to Sunday school classes.  There are classes for children ages 4-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade and 4th-7th grade.  

Music and Choirs at Pilgrim

Music is an essential part of worship at Pilgrim Congregational Church.  Although we are firmly rooted in classical church traditions, Rachael Kresha, our Director of Music, and Bret Amundson, our Director of Choral Music, provide variety in musical styles and opportunities.  Auditions are not necessary to participate in our choirs--Rachael and Bret willingly help singers and ringers figure out how they can contribute to our music program.  More information about each of our choirs is available on Pilgrim's Music and Arts page.

Rehearsals for the 2013-2014 season are as follows:

Bella Campana--small handbell ensemble for experienced handbell ringers
     Rehearses Wednesdays, 5:30-6:00 pm, beginning September 4
Bellissimo Handbell Ringers--larger handbell choir
     Rehearses Wednesdays, 6:00-7:00, beginning September 4

Pilgrim Choir--vocal choir, no auditions necessary
    Rehearses Wednesdays, 7:15-8:30, beginning September 11
Joyful Voices--an occasional choir which rehearses a few specific weeks for a given Sunday's anthem
    Rehearses occasionally on Wednesdays, 7:15-8:00, beginning September 11
    It is not necessary to read music to sing in Joyful Voices!

Joyful Noise--is an integrative music program for children ages 5-10.  This is part of our music outreach. Children in Joyful Noise are not required to attend Pilgrim or come on Sundays.  Pre-register for the semester .  Classes meet on Thursdays, 6:00 pm, beginning September 26.

Music is an important element in our Sunday School program as well and each Sunday a musician works with our children from 11:00-11:15.

Contact Rachael Kresha or  Bret Amundson for more details about any of our music programs.

A New Creation by Rene Clausen

The Pilgrim Congregational Choir will present Rene Clausen's cantata, A New Creation, on May 12th at 10:00 a.m.  We are  located at 2310 E. 4^th Street, Duluth. 

Clausen is a contemporary American composer who serves as professor of music and choir director at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.  A New Creation is written for chorus, soloists, and accompaniment. The work uses both English and Latin texts taken from the Bible, the Roman Catholic Mass, and a hymn by George Herbert.  

In writing about this composition, Clausen said, "The various movements are attempts to characterize, through music, various aspects of the human/God, God/human relationship. Awe and wonder, unworthiness and doubt, mercy and forgiveness, love, joy, and peace, are all wrapped together in this piece, as indeed these elements are wrapped together in our daily lives.”

The Pilgrim Choir is directed by Dr. Bret Amundson.  Pilgrim’s Director of Music, Rachel Kresha, will accompany the choir.  

Gospel Mass by Robert Ray

On Sunday, April 21, Gospel sounds will reverberate through our Sanctuary as St. Scholastica's Concert Choir sings Robert Ray's setting of the mass.  Texts of the mass are traditional, some of them dating as far back as the 6th century.  Ray surrounds these very old texts with the vibrancy of contemporary African American Gospel sound.  Ray teaches at the University of Missouri in St. Louis and, as part of his own contribution to cultural understandings, has made this musical genre available to choral groups more often used to classical music derived from European traditions.   The Gospel Mass will be presented as part of the worship service at Pilgrim, beginning at 10:00 a.m.  

Tiffany Windows Open House

The public is invited to an Open House at Pilgrim on Sunday afternoon, April 14.  Pilgrim's sanctuary includes five paired windows from the Louis Comfort Tiffany studios.  They have been featured in art publications and reproduced on note cards and stationary.  Jack Salmela, local historian and writer, recently produced a video about the history of Duluth as it relates to the stained glass windows at Pilgrim.  The church building will be open from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, April 14.  Jack's work will be shown at 2:30 and 3:15 in the church parlor.  The Open House is part of the One Community, One Book project sponsored by the Duluth Public Library.  This year's community read is Clara and Mr. Tiffany, a historical novel about the work of Clara Driscoll, a Tiffany designer and supervisor of the Women's Department at the studio in New York.  Pictures of the windows are on this website:  http://pilgrimduluth.org/windows/index.php

Follow us on Facebook for more information about events at Pilgrim.

Mozart Requiem Broadcast This Week

This week, Channel 7, Duluth's Public Access Television Channel will broadcast the Mozart Requiem as presented at Pilgrim on November 4th.  Members of Pilgrim, Peace, Glen Avon and First Lutheran church choirs sang.  Soloists were Sarah Lawrence, Sarah Knott, Cal Metts and Elias Mokole.  Members of the DSSO played and the entire performance was directed by Dr. Jack Bowman.  The performance was made possible by the Julia Marshall Gift Trust and served as a benefit for CHUM.  More than $7000 was raised by the audiences at the two performances.


Pilgrim will celebrate Thanksgiving on Tuesday evening,  November 20th, at an interfaith service  to be held at First United Methodist Church at 7:00 p.m..  This is a long standing tradition of community thanksgiving.

Members of the congregation will cook and serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday, November 21st for members and guests of the Harmony Club, located on East Superior Street.

On Sunday, November 25th, at 10:00 a.m., Pilgrim will observe Thanksgiving in the Sunday morning service.  Come join us for traditional Thanksgiving hymns, prayers, and readings.

Mozart Requiem Sunday Afternoon, November 4

Pause this Sunday, November 4, to remember and give thanks for the saints you've known.  Pilgrim is hosting a performance of Mozart's Requiem in honor of All Saints and as a benefit for CHUM.  Chorus members are from the choirs of several congregations:  Peace, Pilgrim, Glen Avon and First Lutheran.  A Festival Orchestra of DSSO members will play for this performance and soloists are Sarah Lawrence, Sarah Knott, Cal Metts and Elias Mokole.  The entire performance is under the direction of Dr. Jack Bowman, former Director of Music Programs at Pilgrim.

In addition, Jason Braham and Rachael Kresha, Directors of Music at First Lutheran and Pilgrim, will be perform organ solos on the Jaeckel organ.

The concert is free and open to the public.  Donations will be asked for CHUM, Duluth's ecumenical agency that provides a food shelf, emergency shelter, and transition housing assistance.  The same concert will be presented Sunday evening, November 4, at First Lutheran Church, at 7:00 p.m.

Bells Ring! Choirs Sing!

Music is important at Pilgrim Congregational Church.  On Sunday, October 14, our Bell Choir, Bellissimo, under the direction of Rachael Kresha, will play for the Sunday service.  Pilgrim Choir, under the direction of Dr. Bret Amundson, will also sing.  Rachael and Bret began working together at Pilgrim just a few months ago and have brought unusual music into worship.  For World Communion Sunday on October 7, they invited Dr. Jeremy Craycraft to play African music for the service.  On a Sunday in August, Rachael invited a trio of shape note singers to provide music.  Children in grades 2-5 are currently learning to play recorders and on October 28 will provide a recorder anthem for the congregation.

In addition to music on Sunday mornings, Pilgrim provides space for community music groups such as Echoes of Peace, Twin Ports Choral Project, and Lake Superior Youth Choir.  Kindermusik classes meet at Pilgrim and UMD's Academy of Fine Arts offers private instrument instruction at Pilgrim.  Joyful Noise, an integrative music program for elementary school age children, meets at Pilgrim.  The church sanctuary is serves as a venue for a variety of concerts sponsored by various community groups.

Currently Pilgrim's choir is preparing for a co-operative production of Mozart's Requiem on November 4 at 3:00 p.m.  The concert is a benefit for CHUM.  The suggested donation is $10, but gifts in any amount will be appreciated.  Other choirs involved include Glen Avon Presbyterian Church, Peace United Church of Christ, and First Lutheran.  An evening performance will be at First Lutheran, at 7:00 p.m.

Pilgrim Seeks Choir Director

Pilgrim's Music staff is in transition.  After almost nine years of working together and with us, Velda Bell and Jack Bowman are each pursuing other opportunities.  Rachael Kresha will begin as Organist June 15.  We are seeking a choir director with experience in classical, sacred music repetoire and leading a choir of  experienced singers.  Other responsibilities of the music staff include directing a Handbell Choir, developing a music program for elementary school children, and community outreach.  The ability to provide service music on organ or piano will be considered a plus in a candidate.  Resumes should be sent to Music Search, Pilgrim Congregational Church, 2310 E. 4th Street, Duluth, MN 55812 or email to pilgrimcf@msn.com. 

Stained Glass Windows and Duluth History

Pilgrim Congregational Church is fortunate to have some of the most beautiful stained glass windows in the Northland. On Sunday, February 5, at 2:00 p.m., the church will host the premiere showing of a 30 minute documentary about the history related to these windows and the benefactors who commissioned them. The descendants of several of the benefactors will be present as well as the film's producer, Jack Salmela. The church will be open for tours that afternoon as well. There is no charge for the premiere showing; copies of the video will be available for purchase for $15.

Pilgrim to Host One Voice Mixed Chorus November 18

On Friday evening, November 18, at 7:30 p.m., Pilgrim will host Brave Souls and Dreamers, a concert by One Voice Mixed Chorus of the Twin Cities. One Voice is a 90 member GLBT choir known throughout Minnesota for their diverse music and community outreach.

The concert is a fund raising effort by Duluth United for All Families. Proceeds will be used in the campaign against the marriage amendment limiting marriage to straight couples. Tickets are $15 in advance and may be ordered through www.MnUnited.org or $20 at the door.

Pilgrim is an Open and Affirming congregation, the birthplace of PFLAG in Duluth, a partner in the Opening our Hearts, Opening our Doors conferences and a member of Standing on the Side of Love.

Jesse Eschbach. Guest Organist, August 7

On Sunday morning, August 7th, Dr. Jesse Eschbach will be the guest organist at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 2310 E. 4th Street, Duluth, at the 10:00 am worship service.
Dr. Eschbach and Dr. Norma Stevlingson served as co-consultants when Pilgrim’s Jaeckel organ, Op. 11, was designed and built. Since that time, Pilgrim’s organ has been featured on programs such as MPR’s Pipe Dreams. He is a graduate of Indiana University and the University of Michigan where he was a student of Robert Glasgow. He completed his formal education during a five-year residency in Paris as a student of Marie-Claire Alain. Since 1986, Eschbach has served on the faculty at the University of North Texas as the full-time Professor of Organ.

The organ prelude at the beginning of the worship service will begin at 9:45.

Music at The Pines

Enjoy a short concert by Bellissimo, Pilgrim's handbell choir, at The Pines, Saturday afternoon, 2:00 p.m. The Pines are located on St. Marie Street, behind Mount Royal Shopping Center.

Sing a Song of Joy. . . Sunday, May 16 10:00 a.m.

SING A SONG OF JOY. . .Sunday's worship service will celebrate song in our congregation's life. Special guest choir--the concert choir from Angelica Cantanti, a wonderful children and youth choral group from the Twin Cities. And our own Bellissimo Handbell choir and Pilgrim choir! This is a worship service meant to be enjoyed! 10:00 Sunday, May 16th. Invite someone to come with you.

UMD Faculty Woodwind Quintet

The last Pilgrim Presents Concert of the 2009-2010 season will be THIS Sunday, 2:00 p.m. at Pilgrim Congregational Church. Come hear Jeff Campbell, bassoon; James Pospisil, horn; Ted Schoen, clarinet; Lorie Scott, flute; and Laurie Van Brunt, oboe. Tickets are available at the door, $15/adult; $8/student; youth, free. This concert series has been made possible by a gift in memory of Wally and Hazel Niss.