The Church of the Pilgrimage

3.19.26

"a beacon for good in the world"

Friends,

As Christians, our Lenten journey highlights the tension between the finality of death and the promise of resurrection. Of course, the capstone of that tension is the movement from Good Friday to Easter Morning. We get a foretaste this week with the raising of Lazarus presented in John’s Gospel.

Lazarus was in the tomb for four days. Jewish belief held that one’s spirit remained present near the body for three days to re-enter the person and departed at the end of the third day. Therefore, by the time Jesus arrived at Lazarus’ tomb he, Lazarus, was most certainly dead. Mary and Martha had given up hope that their dear brother Lazarus would return to them. Jesus goes to the tomb and calls to Lazarus to “Come Out.” Lazarus emerges still wrapped in the burial cloths.  

Amid the wars in Ukraine and Iran, where the signs of death abound, and the personal tragedies, from illness to job loss, that overwhelm us we hear the voice of Jesus calling us to “Come Out” of our tomb. Like Lazarus, we might emerge from our tombs with the burial cloths that represent the physical and spiritual wounds that led us to experience a form of spiritual death. We yearn for resurrection and the unbinding that releases us to dream beyond the boundaries and experience life anew. To dream beyond the boundaries is to imagine a world in which wholeness, well-being, health, and prosperity and normative expressions of human existence and to partner with the God of life in making that dream a reality.



As we continue our Lenten journey, may our partnership with God flourish in our lives and the lives of those we encounter on this journey.

Peace,

Rev. Tim

Bible Study

Bible study continues with Rev. Tim next week on

Tuesday, March 24^th at 10:30am & 5:30pm.

The passage for this coming Tuesday is:

Matthew 28:1-10

Music Notes

To begin the service this week, we turn to Bach’s celebrated choral prelude, O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde Groß (O Man, Bewail Thy Grievous Fall). Bach’s music is full of symbolism and tone painting. Towards the end of this piece listen for the unexpected modulation to a C flat major chord. Some have paired this unusual chord with the words “Cross enduring” in the text of the hymn this prelude is based on. The entire text is below.

O man, thy grievous sin bemoan,

For which Christ left His Father's throne,

From highest heaven descending.

Of Virgin pure and undefiled

He here was born, our Saviour mild,

For sin to make atonement.

The dead He raised to life again.

The sick He freed from grief and pain.

Until the time appointed

That He for us should give His Blood,

Should bear our sins' o'erwhelming load,

The shameful Cross enduring.

The postlude is an outstanding example of Bach’s mastery of the Fugue. The Fugue in D has a fun and lively motive that weaves its way in various forms throughout the composition. Listen for the statement of this theme in the pedal (played by my feet). This Fugue ends with a spectacular run in the pedals alone.   

Enjoy!



--Michael Eaton

Sunday, March 22^nd

Dedication of Linus Blankets

Thank you to all of our dedicated blanket makers!

Lenten Study Group

All the Light

Mark Twain said that “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”

Given current circumstances, in our nation and around the world, well we might wonder if Twain was right.  There’s an all-too-familiar darkness that hovers over us and too easily infiltrates our lives.  Is there light, either at the end of the tunnel, or possibly to be discovered along the way?

Author Anthony Doerr’s novel, “All the Light We Cannot See,” speaks to this.  I invite you to read (or re-read) the book and join me at the JRC for a discussion of it on the following dates during Lent:

Due to the parking ban - this study group will start on Friday, March 13^th.

Friday, March 20 - 10:30-12.00

    “    March 27 - 10:30-12.00

Hope to see you there!

Rev. Bill McCoy

Family Message

with Kathy Marks and Harrison

Palm Sunday Breakfast

The Deacons invite you to attend our traditional Palm Sunday Breakfast!

When:    March 29, 2026

Where:    Allerton Hall

Time:      Palm Sunday Breakfast service will begin at 8:00 am

Who:       Everyone, but sign-up is required

Cost:        Free

Please sign up in Allerton Hall on

March 8^th , 15^th and the 22^th,

or call Michael at the office.

From Your Missions & Outreach Committee

Can You Help?

The Mission & Outreach Committee will be continuing the Church of the Pilgrimage’s long tradition of supporting the Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness’s Overnights of Hospitality program. The Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness provides overnight shelter during the winter months. This year we will be providing and (serving) dinner as well as supplying breakfast-to-go on March 12^th.

Volunteers are also needed ( on 3/12) to provide the entrée ( we are currently signed up for Shepherd’s Pie) for approximately 18 people. We also need volunteers to provide vegetables and/or salad, bread & butter, dessert, a gallon of water, a gallon of whole milk and a quart of half n half. In addition, we are looking for a case of water bottles, bananas, packaged cereal or granola bars, and packaged peanut butter/cheese crackers.

If you would like to help please contact Charlene Moore at plymoore@comcast.net or at 617-688-0188 for more details. For more information on the program please go to Plymouth-taskforce-homeless.org

Thank you.

The Annual Pinewood Derby

at Church of the Pilgrimage

Last Saturday, we hosted our Cub Scout Pack’s annual Pinewood Derby in Allerton Hall. We had about 44 cars entered in the competition and over 75 cubs, parents and car racing fans attended the 3-hour event. Not only did the Cubs have a chance to race each other, but there were also categories for each Cub den, families and adults to race each other.

For those unfamiliar with the annual event, it was started by the Cub Scouts in 1955 (3 years after we charted our Pack 47) and is an annual tradition for almost every Cub Pack in the country. Each entry is given a kit composed of a block of wood, 4 nails (axels) and 4 wheels. The car can be any shape, but must not weigh over 5 oz.

A 42’ track was laid out across the hall with racing signs covering the walls. The results of each race were displayed on the screen over the stage. The cars race down the tracks and are scored electronically while the crowd roars for their favorite car. 30 Cubs, ages 5-11 can make quite a roar, not even including the parents. Lots of awards are given out to the winners and for most creative cars in each category. The pizza and cookies during the break were also a big hit.

For those of you who have helped your Cubs make the cars in the past, I can assure you that high tech has taken over the Pinewood racing world with polished axels, graphite lubrication and weighting that that is explained on Youtube by an astrophysicist and engineers. Yours truly spent more than few hours on a car that did not make it past the first adult race.



A fun time was had by all and The Church of the Pilgrimage can be very proud of our sponsorship of this great Cub Pack and their creative adult leaders.

Richard Rinker

Charter Organization Representative (COR)

Church Email

It has come to our attention that some people are having trouble receiving emails from the church. It appears that the church email account may be flagged as 'spam' by some email providers - particularly 'gmail.com'.

One way to help avoid this issue is to be sure that both church emails are in your contact list. Check your contacts to be sure that both office@8townsquare.org and revtim@8townsquare.org are listed as contacts.

Soup Supper

The Deacons and Mission Outreach Team are sponsoring a soup supper on Thursday, April 9 at 6pm. 

A presentation will be made by Lewis Randa who is the founder of The Peace Abbey Foundation.  You may know that his local office is in the JRC, and he has been very involved in the Together We C.A.N. program that supports our local immigrants.  Founded in 1988, the foundation conducts and supports programs that bring together and promote the cooperation of people of different faith traditions and non-theists as well. They do this in the spirit of the 1986 International Day of Prayer for World Peace, as celebrated that year by religious leaders from around the globe in Assisi, Italy.  

It should be quite an interesting evening.  If you plan to attend, please sign up at coffee hour.

Annual Report

It is that time of year again! The 2026 Annual Meeting will be on Sunday, May 3^rd.

Ministry Teams are asked to submit their annual reports to the church office by Monday, April 6th.

Portrait

The Church Council, working with the Deacons, would like to get a professional portrait of Rev. Tim to put on the wall of the entrance lobby below the Narthex.

We have a quote and are looking for volunteers to help cover the cost of the portrait and frame. If you would like to contribute, please send a check to the Office (8 Town Square) or put it in the Sunday offering plate, and write “Pastor Portrait“ on the Memo line. All contributions will be gratefully accepted.

Rev. Tim has brought renewed vitality to our church. We want to show his engaging countenance to friends and visitors.

Rick Dower, Moderator

Lenten Devotionals

Lift Up Your Hearts, a Lenten Daily Devotional for Families is now available on the table in the upper vestibule at the church.

First Day of Spring 

This weekend marks the first day of spring and a season of rebirth. Pay attention as buds appear on the trees, seedlings sprout, and animals are born. When you come across these signs of spring, say a blessing for God's new creation.

Parking for Newcomers

Beginning December 1st, public parking is free until April.

A reminder that on Sundays most of us park on School St., Main St. Extension (3 handicap), Summer St. (4 hours), and in the Market St. and Middle St. lots. Park Plymouth has informally agreed to not start ticketing vehicles near the church until noon on Sundays. One can get parking permits from Park Plymouth at 4 North Street; ph. 508.747.5929; www.parkplymouth.com. If you have questions, please speak with Mike Eaton.

Church Office Hours



Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:30am - 4:00pm

Wednesday 10:00am - 5:30pm

508-746-3026

office@8townsquare.org

On The Calendar

• March 19: Trustees, 7:00pm
• March 20: Lenten Study, 10:30am
• March 22: Worship, 10:00am - Linus Blanket Sunday
• March 23: Monday Meals
• March 24: Bible Study, 10:30am & 5:30pm; Church Council, 7:00pm
• March 25: Men's Bible Study, 7:00pm; Choir Rehearsal, 7:00pm
• March 26: Missions, 7:00pm