Book Sale June 7

Pilgrim Congregational Church will host its Annual Used Book Sale, June 7, 2014.  Gently used books of all kinds will be available in Fellowship Hall from 9:00-4:00.  Use the parking lot entrance to the building. Come browse among the tables loaded with books and stock up on summer reading material!  The sale is a part of Pilgrim's community service and proceeds are used for the operating expenses of the church.

School's Out!

Pilgrim Congregational Church in Duluth Minnesota will celebrate the end of the academic year on Sunday, June 1 with a service filled with youthful energy!  Children and youth of the congregation will present the musical Are We There Yet? by Tom Long and Allen Pote.  The dancing and singing troupe is under the direction of Rachael Kresha.

In addition, the congregation will honor four graduates of Duluth East High School:  Will Dahlmann, Sophie Hillmeyer, Georgia Jacobson, and Miranda Peterson.  All four students were confirmed at Pilgrim and are members of the congregation.

Following worship, the congregation is invited to a School's Out! party in the Fellowship Hall.  A picnic meal will be served by the Christian Education Ministry.

Befriender Ministry at Pilgrim

Ever felt like you needed a friend?  Within Pilgrim Congregational Church, a small group of members are trained to "befriend" persons who are experiencing life's transitions or are  isolated from the larger community due to health or age.  Befrienders receive extensive training in active listening and empathetic care.  They meet monthly for peer supervision and support.  They provide a wide network of individual attention for individual needs within our congregation.

Befrienders often accompany members of Pilgrim or their friends during life transitions and change.  They provide a listening ear and steady support when life is particularly stressful.  They have befriended individuals experiencing grief, health crises, cancer treatments, substance abuse recovery, employment difficulties, pregnancy and child birth, and family expansion by adoption.  Befriender relationships may consist of a single conversation or visit or may last for several years.

Befrienders visit elderly members who reside in assisted living or skilled nursing facilities. Befrienders provide a link to Pilgrim and a consistent friendship during life's later years.

Upon occasion, Befrienders also assist the minister with hospital calls and contacts with newer members or guests of the congregation.

Jane Shull and Paula Bjoralt were commissioned as Befriender coordinators in November of 2009 and the first class of Befrienders was commissioned the following summer.  On Sunday, May 25, Pilgrim will recognize and thank Jane and Paula for their years of service.  At the same time we will commission Julie Drake and Bob Hensley as Befriender Co-ordinators. 

If you are interested in either having a Befriender or being trained as a Befriender, please contact the church office.   

Gay Marriage--a matter of Religious Freedom

The United Church of Christ has a long tradition of working for social justice and last week it's most recent advocacy effort caught national media attention.  Two years ago, North Carolina not only banned gay marriage; the law makes it a misdemeanor for an officiant to perform a wedding ceremony without a license. Last Monday, the United Church of Christ filed suit against the state of North Carolina, contending that the legislation is unconstitutional because it infringes on the rights of clergy to religious freedom.  Melissa Harris of msnbc summarized the social justice history of our denomination as an introduction to an interview with Ben Guess, our denominational minister for Local Church Ministries.  You can watch the summary piece at www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/faith-based-action-oriented-toward-justice-246227523719.  The interview and discussion of the current lawsuit can be found at www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/faith-based-argument-for-marriage-equality-246241347575

Reunion Sunday May 4: Worship and Brunch

Pilgrim designates the first Sunday in May as "reunion Sunday"--a time to gather together after a long, cold winter.  For some congregants, regular church attendance is difficult during the winter months.  Cold weather, ice underfoot, travel to warmer climates, colds and flu all contribute to winter absences.  In recognition of the coming spring, we make this a special Sunday to welcome back those who have been absent on Sunday mornings.  We serve brunch following worship in hopes that folks will linger longer for conversation and catching up with each other.  For newer members of the congregation, this is a great opportunity to sit down next to our older members and get to know them, introduce children to them, and fill them in on the good things that have happened since last fall.  Worship with communion is at 10:00 and brunch is served at 11:15 in Fellowship Hall.

Holy Week at Pilgrim

Holy Week begins with Passion Sunday, April 13. As in many congregations, worship this Sunday reflects events during the final week of Jesus' life.  The Pilgrim Choir along with Jeremy Craycraft, percussion, Janelle Lemire, harp, and Rachael Kresha, organ, will be presenting Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein.  The work was commissioned for the 1965 Southern Cathedrals Festival in Sussex, England while Berstein was on sabbatical from the New York Philharmonic.   The text was arranged by Bernstein from the psalms in the original Hebrew.  In the Sunday service, the congregation will hear the reading of Jesus' passion between the musical movements.

Rabbi David Steinberg will lead a teaching Seder at Pilgrim on Thursday, April 17.  It is widely believed that when Jesus and his disciples gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem, they were celebrating Passover together.  It was after this meal that Jesus was arrested, sent to trial and executed.  At Pilgrim, we reach back to our Judeo roots during Holy week.  Because this event involves considerable preparation, reservations need to be made through the church office no later than Tuesday, April 15.  (call 724-8503 or email Pilgrim pilgrimdlh@msn.com)

Good Friday evening Pilgrims gather with members of Glen Avon Presbyterian Church and Peace United Church of Christ to hear the story of Jesus' crucifixion and final words.  There are anthems by the three choirs as well as the readings.  During the service, the lights are dimmed, signifying the end of Jesus' life.  This year's service will be begin at 7:00 and will be held at Peace UCC, 1111 11th Avenue, Duluth.   

Pilgrim worships at its usual time, 10:00 a.m. on Easter morning.  A continental breakfast and social hour begins at 9:00 a.m.  A brass quartet will enhance the worship service in which we gather to celebrate the triumph of life over death, love over hate, and victory over evil:  in a word, resurrection.  Children are encouraged to enjoy the worship service along with adults and Sunday school classes resume the following week.

Ash Wednesday March 5

Pilgrim, like many Christian congregations, observes the season of Lent.  The season begins on Ash Wednesday, six weeks before Easter.  It consists of 40 days (Sundays are not counted among the 40), a reminder of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness outside of Jerusalem.  While there, Jesus faced various temptations and his sense of vocation was strengthened.

Some Christians "give up" something during the season of Lent and others take on added spiritual disciplines for the six weeks.  At Pilgrim, we take time for faith discussions in small groups.  This year we are reading Marcus Borg's book, The Heart of Christianity.  Small groups will meet at 8:45 and 11:20 on Sundays and at 1:30 on Thursday afternoons.  These groups give members and friends an opportunity to reflect on what is important in our individual experiences of Christian faith.  Copies of the book and a reading guide are available in the church office or after services on Sunday.

On Wednesday, March 5th, we will begin Lent with a soup supper, to be served between 6:00 and 6:30 and a worship service at 7:00.  The service will include the imposition of ashes, an ancient reminder of our mortality and the saving grace of Jesus' death and resurrection.