Pilgrimage Herald

Our Sympathies are extended to Rev. Bill Geertz and his family as they mourn the passing of Bill's wife the Rev. Nan Geertz. Bill in pastor of The First Church of Christ in Sandwich (U.C.C.) Nan had served as Associate Pastor at our Falmouth U.C.C. Church. A memorial service for Nan was held in Sandwich on March 5, 2005. Rev. Marks attended the service.

MISSIONS AND OUTREACH
Monday Meals of Hospitality: Thank you to the following people who cooked, served and helped out at the fourth of seven Monday Meals of Hospitality: Kay Budd, Diana Budge and Meg Bross.
Food Pantries: The volunteers at the Food Warehouse appreciate the on-going support form The Church of the Pilgrimage to help eradicate hunger in the Plymouth area. The following items are needed at present: peanut butter & jelly, canned fruit, macaroni & cheese, cereal, canned tuna, mayonnaise and cereal.

Project for March and April: The Church School and the Missions and Outreach Committee invite everyone to join them in assembling "Gifts of the Heart" kits to be shipped by Church World Service to orphaned and displaced children around the world. Each health kit, sealed in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure, will contain:

One hand towel
One wash cloth
One comb
One metal nail file
One bar of bath-sized soap
One toothbrush
One tube of toothpaste, 4-7 oz
Six Band-Aids

We welcome donations of these items which may be placed in the baskets next to the red bins for the Food Warehouse. We will be collecting for the kits through the months of March and April.

Prayer opportunities at 7:00pm on Wednesdays will continue during the Lenten season. The Evening Prayer services are seemingly satisfying a spiritual need for those who have attended on a regular basis. Please feel free to join us on a Wednesday evening.

The Chest of Joash Service: The Chest of Joash Service is used in churches as a means of collecting your pledges to the work of the church. The Chest will be on the communion table on Stewardship Sunday, March 13, 2005. Please remember to bring your pledge cards.

In II Chronicles 34:4-14 we find the story of King Joash, who placed a chest at the gate of the house of the Lord to collect a tax which Moses had levied to the people of Israel in order to provide funds for the temple. Joash reigned in Israel from about 837-800 BC. Chronicles reports that the people brought their offering to the chest in the spirit of rejoicing because of their glee in being able to serve the Lord and to have a part in joy, because the people recognized that their material gifts were a central factor in the expression of their faith in the Lord's work.

We continue the Chest of Joash tradition by placing the chest on the communion table. As the minister instruct you to bring forth your gifts remember that you are a part of the people of God, and this should inspire a joy like those who 800 years before Christ brought forth their gifts joyfully.

The Monday Evening Bible Study and the Lunch Bunch are back! The Monday group begins March 21 at 7pm and the Lunch Bunch begins March 22 @noon. Both groups meet weekly in Allerton Hall. The subject will be the upcoming Sunday's lectionary texts. Please bring your bible, your questions and yourself! Contact Rev. Dan with any questions.

Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed: Volunteers are needed to sign up for coffee hour. This is an important aspect of our fellowship that we all enjoy, so your support is encouraged and greatly appreciated. The sign up sheet is on the counter where coffee is served.

The Church of the Pilgrimage on PAC/TV: Sunday Services will appear on cable PAC/TV on Sundays at 8am and 6pm. We thank Tom Healy for taping the Sunday Services which appear on PAC on a one or two week delay.

Scavenger Hunt / Jr. & Sr. High Youth Group: Sunday, March 20th from 3-5pm (weather permitting). Please meet at the church house at 2:45 and dress appropriately as this is an outdoor event.

Time and Talent Auction: Please fill out talent forms (included in this Herald) and return to Pat Mudgett at church. Hope all will participate. Only you can make this a success. It's a great, fun evening and there will be a dinner also.

UCC National Televison Advertisements: Please note that the UCC will again be running national televison advertisements for Lent and continuing through Easter Sunday, March 27th. At present, it appears that the ads will run exclusively on cable networks.

Bach Birthday Concert: Celebrate Bach's 320th at Christ the King Church, Mashpee Commons, on Monday, March 21st at 8pm. Renowned English organist and composer Peter LeaCox will be joined by violinists Joshus Weilerstein and Cape Cod's own Paula Muldoon, members of NEC Philharmonic Orchestra. Program will include Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, his Double Violin Concerto and other works. A free-will offering will be gladly accepted. More information and directions at www.scholafalmouth.com or 508-495-1621.

Friends of the National Monument to the Forefathers: The Friends of the National Monument to the Forefathers is a non-profit group working to raise funds to restore the monument, which is in need of repairs. You can help by attending the Spaghetti Supper & Silent Auction, Donation $25.00 per person (ask for a senior discount). Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at 6:30pm. Loring Library, Route 3A, North Plymouth. Surprise V.I.P. Servers. Contact Mary Cushing at 508-746-7583.

If you are interested in becoming a hospice volunteer, a 9-week training program is scheduled to begin Monday, March 21st. If you would like to join Cranberry Hospice please call Karen Foster at 508-746-0215 to register, fill out an application and make an appointment for an interview. Hospice volunteers are the heart of Hospice, and help provide care and comfort to our patients and their families.


garymarks@8townsquare.org danspacek@8townsquare.org	March 13 , 2005	office@8townsquare.org
Volume LXXVII	The Fifth Sunday in Lent	No. 11
Dear Friends, Over the years I've cited a quotation which is attributed to Saint Augustine. It is, on the surface of it, a rather shocking summary of the Christian ethic. He said that Christian behavior should b guided by this mandate. "Love God, then do as you please." This sounds at first as though there isn't a great deal of discipline in following the way of Jesus. It almost sounds as though Augustine was granting a license to do anything we want to do so long as we confess that we love God. Nothing could be further from the truth! As you are aware, there are almost countless laws in the Old Testament which were to guide the behavior of God's people. These laws, often given in minute detail, are to be seen in the light of the historical circumstances in which they were given. The laws with which we are all familiar, The Ten Commandments, were a kind of seminary themselves of what is to be the foundation of Israel's behavior and are to be the foundation of society. (The Commandments are found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5). The Pharises in Matthew 22:34 ff. sought to test Jesus by getting him to undermine the authority of Old Testament laws, even the Ten Commandments! Jesus was asked, "...which is the great commandment in the law? (Matthew 22:36). Jesus answered by summing up the law; "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." Clearly, love of God, self and others is at the heart of Christ's teaching and are the foundation of Christian behavior. Does that grant us license to do as we please? Hardly! The "law of love" makes great demands upon us to apply it to ever changing circumstances. Here is an instance of what Jesus' and Augustine's summaries of the law means. "We could think of a mother caring for a sick child whom she loves. She isn't concerned with doing her 'duty' or merely fulfilling an obligation. Is she thinking, 'What am I required to do for my child in this situation?' No! Motivated by love she doesn't want to know the minimum she is obliged to do, but rather the maximum she can do for her child. She looks for the most competent doctor, consults other parents, obtains the most effective medicines. Why? Because she is motivated by love and not mere obligation." (Thomas Williams in Regnum Christi). During the season of Lent we are invited and encouraged to focus our attention upon the mystery of God's love for us as it worked itself out in the life and death of Jesus. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son..." (John 3:16). As Christian pilgrims we are to learn to be governed and ruled by what may be called the "law of love," though that "law" is to become a "habit of the heart." We are not to be governed by a rigid code of "minimum" obligations, but by a "maximum" motivation to love. Love God and then do as you please because what is done in love is always pleasing to God. Love, © The Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, MA Inc., all rights reserved.
Sunday, March 13, 2005 Fifth Sunday in Lent Morning Worship, 10:00 am , Rev. Gary L. Marks, preaching. Deacon in-charge: Mahlon Walker. Pulpit Flowers: In loving memory of Steven Emerson Rodgers. Given by parents and sisters. Membership: After Easter Rev. Marks plans to offer another New Member Class. If your are interested in becoming a member of The Church of the Pilgrimage, please let Rev. Marks know or call the church office. Palm Sunday Breakfast: Join us for the annual Palm Sunday breakfast on Sunday, March 20, 2005. The event begins at 8am with a brief service including communion, followed by a hot breakfast prepared by the Deacons. Sign up in Allerton Hall after worship or by calling Trace Sears at 508-747-7993. Cost is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for children. Deadline to register is Friday, March 18th. Memorial Lilies: The joyous Easter season is fast approaching. By your loving donation of Easter Lilies, we can enhance the beauty of our church on Easter morning. Sign up in the lower vestibule following the service on the next two Sundays, or call the church office. There will be an insert listing the donors and those memorialized in the Herald. The suggested price for a multi-flowered, replantable lily is $15. The flowers may be donated to shut-ins or picked up after the 11:00 Easter Sunday service. Volunteers will be welcomed to take flowers to shut-ins following the service.
CHURCH RECORD Hospitalized: Gail Mason, Jordan Hospital. Jane Burns and Elizabeth Porter are both at The Beverly Manor Nursing Home. Dorothy Strassel is recuperating at home.
THIS WEEK Sunday,Mar. 13: Morning Worship 10:00 a.m., Rev. Gary L.Marks, preaching; The Chest of Joash will be part of the service; The Cherub Choir will sing today during the worship service; Pinewood Derby (Cub Scouts Pack 47), noon-4:30, Church House. Monday, Mar. 14: Aerobics, 9am, Allerton Hall; Girl Scouts, 3:30-5, Church House; Tiger Pack, 4-5:30, Church House; Pilgrim Festival Chorus, 7-10pm, Sanctuary. Tuesday,Mar.15: Rev. Marks will be in the church office, 9:30-11:30am. Aerobics, 6:30 pm; Allerton Hall.; Board of Trustees, 7:00pm, Church House. Wednesday, Mar. 16: Aerobics, 9:15 a.m., Allerton Hall; Staff Meeting, 10:00 am; Nominating Committee Mtg, 6:30pm,Allerton Hall; PFN Free Scrapbooking, 6-9pm, Allerton Hall; Choir Rehearsal 7:30 pm, sanctuary; Pack 47 & Troop 47, Church House; Brownie Troop #122 4-5:30, Allerton Hall. Evening Prayer, 7pm, Sanctuary. Thursday, Mar. 17-St. Patrick's Day: Aerobics, 6:30pm, Allerton Hall. Friday, Mar. 18 Aerobics, 9:15 am, Allerton Hall; Rev. Marks will be in the church office, 9:30-11:30am Saturday, Mar. 19: National Scrapbooking Day, 1-7, Church House.
NOTES: Our Sympathies are extended to Rev. Bill Geertz and his family as they mourn the passing of Bill's wife the Rev. Nan Geertz. Bill in pastor of The First Church of Christ in Sandwich (U.C.C.) Nan had served as Associate Pastor at our Falmouth U.C.C. Church. A memorial service for Nan was held in Sandwich on March 5, 2005. Rev. Marks attended the service. MISSIONS AND OUTREACH Monday Meals of Hospitality: Thank you to the following people who cooked, served and helped out at the fourth of seven Monday Meals of Hospitality: Kay Budd, Diana Budge and Meg Bross. Food Pantries: The volunteers at the Food Warehouse appreciate the on-going support form The Church of the Pilgrimage to help eradicate hunger in the Plymouth area. The following items are needed at present: peanut butter & jelly, canned fruit, macaroni & cheese, cereal, canned tuna, mayonnaise and cereal. Project for March and April: The Church School and the Missions and Outreach Committee invite everyone to join them in assembling "Gifts of the Heart" kits to be shipped by Church World Service to orphaned and displaced children around the world. Each health kit, sealed in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure, will contain: One hand towel One wash cloth One comb One metal nail file One bar of bath-sized soap One toothbrush One tube of toothpaste, 4-7 oz Six Band-Aids We welcome donations of these items which may be placed in the baskets next to the red bins for the Food Warehouse. We will be collecting for the kits through the months of March and April. Prayer opportunities at 7:00pm on Wednesdays will continue during the Lenten season. The Evening Prayer services are seemingly satisfying a spiritual need for those who have attended on a regular basis. Please feel free to join us on a Wednesday evening. The Chest of Joash Service: The Chest of Joash Service is used in churches as a means of collecting your pledges to the work of the church. The Chest will be on the communion table on Stewardship Sunday, March 13, 2005. Please remember to bring your pledge cards. In II Chronicles 34:4-14 we find the story of King Joash, who placed a chest at the gate of the house of the Lord to collect a tax which Moses had levied to the people of Israel in order to provide funds for the temple. Joash reigned in Israel from about 837-800 BC. Chronicles reports that the people brought their offering to the chest in the spirit of rejoicing because of their glee in being able to serve the Lord and to have a part in joy, because the people recognized that their material gifts were a central factor in the expression of their faith in the Lord's work. We continue the Chest of Joash tradition by placing the chest on the communion table. As the minister instruct you to bring forth your gifts remember that you are a part of the people of God, and this should inspire a joy like those who 800 years before Christ brought forth their gifts joyfully. The Monday Evening Bible Study and the Lunch Bunch are back! The Monday group begins March 21 at 7pm and the Lunch Bunch begins March 22 @noon. Both groups meet weekly in Allerton Hall. The subject will be the upcoming Sunday's lectionary texts. Please bring your bible, your questions and yourself! Contact Rev. Dan with any questions. Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed: Volunteers are needed to sign up for coffee hour. This is an important aspect of our fellowship that we all enjoy, so your support is encouraged and greatly appreciated. The sign up sheet is on the counter where coffee is served. The Church of the Pilgrimage on PAC/TV: Sunday Services will appear on cable PAC/TV on Sundays at 8am and 6pm. We thank Tom Healy for taping the Sunday Services which appear on PAC on a one or two week delay. Scavenger Hunt / Jr. & Sr. High Youth Group: Sunday, March 20th from 3-5pm (weather permitting). Please meet at the church house at 2:45 and dress appropriately as this is an outdoor event. Time and Talent Auction: Please fill out talent forms (included in this Herald) and return to Pat Mudgett at church. Hope all will participate. Only you can make this a success. It's a great, fun evening and there will be a dinner also. UCC National Televison Advertisements: Please note that the UCC will again be running national televison advertisements for Lent and continuing through Easter Sunday, March 27th. At present, it appears that the ads will run exclusively on cable networks. Bach Birthday Concert: Celebrate Bach's 320th at Christ the King Church, Mashpee Commons, on Monday, March 21st at 8pm. Renowned English organist and composer Peter LeaCox will be joined by violinists Joshus Weilerstein and Cape Cod's own Paula Muldoon, members of NEC Philharmonic Orchestra. Program will include Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, his Double Violin Concerto and other works. A free-will offering will be gladly accepted. More information and directions at www.scholafalmouth.com or 508-495-1621. Friends of the National Monument to the Forefathers: The Friends of the National Monument to the Forefathers is a non-profit group working to raise funds to restore the monument, which is in need of repairs. You can help by attending the Spaghetti Supper & Silent Auction, Donation $25.00 per person (ask for a senior discount). Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at 6:30pm. Loring Library, Route 3A, North Plymouth. Surprise V.I.P. Servers. Contact Mary Cushing at 508-746-7583. If you are interested in becoming a hospice volunteer, a 9-week training program is scheduled to begin Monday, March 21st. If you would like to join Cranberry Hospice please call Karen Foster at 508-746-0215 to register, fill out an application and make an appointment for an interview. Hospice volunteers are the heart of Hospice, and help provide care and comfort to our patients and their families.
Coming Events: Mar 20 Palm Sunday Communion Breakfast, Allerton Hall, 8am Mar. 24 Maundy Thursday Service in the sanctuary, 7pm Mar. 25 Good Friday Service, 7pm in the sanctuary Mar. 27 Easter Sunday Services: -Sunrise Service onCole's Hill (across form Plymouth Rock), 6am -Services in the Sancutary 9am and 11am
Clerk - Lois Post; Moderator - Steven Triffletti; Treasurer - David Kegel; Collector - Thomas Mudgett; Music Director - William B Richter; Organist - Chandler Gregg Secretary - Shellie McCormack; Sexton - Tony Nightingale; World Mission Emphasis - Heifer Project International; Church Building Telephone - (508) 747-1341.