While the wider world pauses at the end of each year at Christmas, Holy Week and Easter live in a kind of perpetual tension with the secular culture in which we Christians live.  There is so much else to think about in spring time, after all: tax day, college acceptances and the looming end of the academic year. It’s moving time, planting time, travel time. Here on the Cape, seasonal businesses take down their shutters and begin the short ramp to summer. 

Minutes before I began the Easter Vigil last year, with the lighting of the new fire on Trinity Copley’s West Porch in the early evening of April 16, I found myself in negotiation with the manager of a rock cover band contracted by the City of Boston to play that afternoon on Copley Square.  We’d worked the timing out months before with the Parks Department. Nonetheless, the boisterous pre-Marathon crowds wanted an encore. We faithful waited for a bit while the band slashed their way through AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” I needed to -- and could barely suppress -- my delight in the band’s selection. 

"Suffering," wrote W.H. Auden in a favorite poem of mine, “takes place while someone else is eating or opening a window or / just walking dully along.” In Holy Week, the disparity between the buzz of the secular world and the “holy” we seek is a given. Maybe it’s even the point.  Holy Week asks us to put other commitments and obligations aside and somehow find room and space and quiet. Holy Week asks us to make an effort. Holy Week asks us to live fully into our identity as resident aliens even as we are embedded in a culture of consumption and transaction and contending commitments and buzz. 

You’ll find here in this issue of Together the times of services as well as a schedule for walking and praying our labyrinth in the parish hall during Holy Week. And because an evolving life of faith asks us to take time alone, to take time in small groups, and to take time as members of a congregation of both friends and strangers, our invitation to you for this this particular week is to make time for all three.

To join us live via YouTube, please click here.

Last Session March 29, Parish Hall

Thursday, March 23 & 30 11:00 am in the Church

During Holy Week, we will suspend all meetings and activities,

TUESDAY: Labyrinth will be available in the Parish Hall between

WEDNESDAY - Stations of the Cross

Labyrinth will be available in the Parish Hall from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm 

Thursday - Maundy Thursday - 7:00 pm in Church  

Friday - Good Friday - 12:00 noon in Church  

10:00 am

SUNDAY MORNING EUCHARIST SERVICE 10:00 A.M.

In-person worship with music

Followed by Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

Church School starts at 9:45 in the lower level of the Parish Hall.

Visitors are always welcome! Children join the service at the Peace.

If you are unable to join us and worship in person, click

HERE to watch the services live or watch later on our YouTube channel.

(Formerly Healing Service)

Lectio Divina is a monastic mode of prayer, contemplation and bible study

and all are welcome to experience this with us.

 10:00 a.m. via ZOOM

WHEN: Good Friday April 7. REGISTRATION AT 8:30; WALK BEGINS AT 9:00

WHERE: Register at Bible Alliance Church in on Route 6A, Brewster .

For close to 40 years now, God has given us grace to shine a light in the darkness on Good Friday, by bringing your love, kindness, and generosity to help those less fortunate than ourselves, families with children who have profound illnesses, and other forms of suffering. 

It has been an arduous journey for us all since the onset of the pandemic in 2019. We have all been moving through “the valley of the shadow of death” in a very real sense for the past three years.   And now, with the onset of Lent, I submit that we all may be viewing the journey ahead in a more sobering light than in years past.

One hundred percent of the freewill donations go to support families on the Cape with special needs children. 

My fervent prayer is that you will join me again this year in fulfilling Jesus's legacy of love and service to those in need. Rich Weeks

Click HERE to read more about UP for Kids and last year's Good Friday walk.

The Vestry held a retreat during the weekend of March 3-4 to examine together the stories and tools found in Invite, Welcome, Connect (I-W-C). We met for a social hour, dinner, and compline at the home of Priscilla and Michael Isner on Friday evening. 

On Saturday, we gathered at the church to study the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), to discuss I-W-C and brainstorm ideas to implement its great suggestions, and to celebrate Eucharist together.

The Vestry met for their regular monthly meeting on March 16 in the Fireplace Room and on Zoom. In his opening meditation, Chris Crighton reflected upon one of the questions posed by Invite, Welcome, Connect--"Are we a friendly parish or a parish of friends?" Chris urged all of us to regularly engage with visitors and newcomers.

During his Rector's Report, Patrick had much to share. Plans for our Celebration of Ministry on Friday, March 24 at 6:00 are in place. We look forward to seeing many of you there. Please plan to arrive early! The service will also be available on YouTube live during the event and afterwards for those of you who can't attend. 

The next Deanery Assembly is TODAY,

· Reports from the Dean, Diocesan Council, Communications,

the Treasurer, the Regional Canon

· Vote on requests for Deanery Grants (including Food4Kids program)

· Activation of a Nominating Committee (for available deanery positions)

· Discussion of the Presiding Bishop’s visit to Boston (April)

· Discussion on the Connect part of Invite Welcome Connect

We recently had a chance to walk our Labyrinth led by Brooke Skea.

It was a welcome opportunity to slow down and reflect as we prepare for Easter.

DECORATE EGGS to prepare for Easter.

Join some of us as we participate in

Good Friday Walk to support United People for Kids

(refer to separate article in this edition for details)

Go to the Parish Hall for a delicious Easter Brunch

  WE WILL NOT ACCEPT:

 Computers Or Monitors, Phones, TV’s, or Luggage Without Wheels

Tuesday, May 2nd  12-6

Wednesday, May 3rd  9-6pm,

Thursday, May 4th  9-6pm,

Friday, May 5th  9-12 Noon (FIRM)

Friday May 5th  4-7pm

Saturday May 6th   9-12 Noon

Arrive at Noon Saturday May 6th

Pack Leftovers for Various Charities

Come and Join Us for this Important Outreach to the Community.

It is always a rewarding and fun-filled week. See old friends… make new ones.

Contact Marcia Bechtold and Fay & Ike Cole, or see them at coffee hour after church.

 PARISH HALL FLOOR REFINISHING

 Please mark your calendars and avoid visiting the Parish Hall as the oak floors will be undergoing refinishing. Sanding commences on Monday, May 8 followed with 2-3 coats of semigloss polyurethane applied throughout the week.

ALL entrances to Parish Hall will be blocked. Use Bathrooms in Lower Level – Elevator entrance in the West Parish Hall lobby will be available.

***************************

Spring has sprung and the crocus and other buds are starting to show. Our grounds team has been busy cleaning out up the campus. Check our “Garden Party Update & Schedule” below.

Please check our SOS bulletin board in the Parish Hall for any updates, planting schedule, or photos representing possible plant selections and how you can participate. More on that in April.

We are planning our SOS planting roadmap and schedule. Thank You “Planting Planners” led by Ann Pike-Paris, Susan Hitchcock, Meredith Perkins, Roger Lovejoy, Jay Haun and Chuck Dow.

The HVAC committee, under the direction of Dave Blanchet, is hard at work reviewing the Parish Hall heating and cooling needs in our 23-year-old facility. We have been fortunate to date with minor repairs, but we are coming to the end of the various elements’ useful life.

Please do NOT adjust the various thermostats around our campus. If a room temperature condition is uncomfortable, please contact Wayne Curry, our property supervisor, or a B&G ministry team member to change the settings.

Our hope of giving the campus grounds a polish before the Celebration of Ministry on 3/24 was achieved! Thank you to all who helped!!!

Saturday, 3/18: Neither rain nor gloom would stop the wonderful volunteers for the first gathering of the year. Due to the rain, we delayed until 1 pm and the work began…leaf raking and general sprucing up! Some ‘early birds’ had already gathered a massive number of pinecones in the front!

On Monday 3/20, another hearty group gathered for more of the same. But wait, there’s more!

Monday, 3/20, The Azinger Landscape Company tackled more grounds cleanup. Izzy’s Alley is the courtyard between the parish offices and the church… take a look at how great it looks after this cleanup!

And there’s still more!

On March 22, the United Nations World Water Day was celebrated with Peter Jensen leading a tour of the fantastic work he’s done at CHS, reclaiming our eroding hillside. The Orleans Pond Coalition enlisted Peter and a fantastic community walk was held to explain and show the incredible efforts of the past year. Thank you, Peter!

Lastly, thank you to Diana Crighton, Chuck Dow, Rich Gregory, Susan Hitchcock, Meg Nemitz, Linda Beal, and Meredith Perkins. And special thanks to Roger Lovejoy and Patrick for overseeing and walking in the rain with us, as well as adding great humor!

Next Garden Party: Saturday, April 15. Easy to remember…it’s Tax Day. Stay tuned for further dates.

If you are in need of a pastoral visit, or....

You or a family member has been admitted to a

medical facility (hospital, skilled care, etc.), or ...

You want to request prayers for you or a family member................................

Please call the church office at (508)-255-0433

or email pastoralcare@chsorleans.org

There is also an Intercessors group that offers confidential prayers. Please email your request to intercessors@chsorleans.org 

A special Pastoral Care activity is delivering "thinking about you" small bouquets made from the Sunday Service altar flowers. We need small/medium vases or Mason jars for delivering flowers. They can be left on the counter by the East side bathrooms in the church, or Priscilla Isner can pick them up. Thank you!

No Health Ministry message this month. In the meantime, stay healthy and enjoy the beauty of spring waking us up from winter. Back next month.

Barnstable County Human Services:  www.bchumanservices.net (Comprehensive website with multiple resources on the Cape)                 

Cape Cod Hospital Social Services Department 508-862-5501

Cape Cod Healthcare Newsletter: Go to this link:  https://www.capecodhealth.org/

We have removed the "masks required" signs from our church doorways as that message no longer reflects the level of caution we understand to be necessary for common worship.

Nonetheless, as incidence of COVID and other respiratory illnesses can increase, we encourage all to stay current with available vaccinations for flu and COVID, to stay home and "stream" if you are not feeling well, and to keep a mask with you always.

We are all at varying levels of vulnerability. We invite you also to participate in Communion as you wish; the sacrament is understood as "complete" in one form only if both bread and wine are not for you.

Donna also works in the Kimball Guild making hammered aluminum jewelry and other pieces. She also teaches a craft group in Chatham and Harwich Port and operates Eclectsia, a seasonal art boutique, out of her home in Harwich Port.

The CHS Gallery is open Monday - Thursday 10 - 3 and Sundays after church. Bring a friend - sit on the sofas - feel the joy of the art on display.

On April 2 we will complete discussion of God With Us: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew by Edward Sri.

On April 16 we will begin our discussion of Not in God's Name by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

We hope you will join us. If you cannot be there in person, please email Brooke Eaton-Skea, and she will send you the Zoom link.  We hope you join the group. 

Gallery re-opens Wednesday, May 17

If you have questions about entering a show,

contact Sue Sasso or Sharyn Laughton.

If you, or someone you know, are looking for a great summer job, F4K is an amazing place to work.

We pay very competitive wages, offer great hours, your work benefits children from Harwich to Provincetown, and you get to work with lots of other great people!

We are looking for a Kitchen Manager and Staff Assistants, both full-time positions, and part-time Site Supervisors. For more information, click here. If interested, send us an email at info@food4kidscapecod.org or speak directly with Anne Koehler.

And if your plan is to volunteer, look for sign-up information in May. We have been in touch with our community partner sites, and they are all looking forward to another great summer with us.

For more news about F4K, read our full March newsletter here. The best way to keep up with all the F4K news is to join our email list here or email us at info@food4kidscapecod.org and let us know that you would like to receive our newsletters.

CHS supports many organizations through our outreach funds. One is the Endupoto Primary and Oljoro Secondary Schools in Tanzania. Member Cheryl Kyle has been a key leader to the school, now celebrating 15 years of building “the miracle in the bush” and bringing education to a remote area of the Maasai Steppe.

The glorious work, the glorious passion, begins the next morning...... Click Here for her full fascinating and informative story...

Email your items to Sue Sasso (or drop off handwritten messages or other items in Parish Office) to be included in a future edition. Please try to limit your message to 50 words. Questions? Contact Sue Sasso

One of the benefits of no Sunday Sexton is that Roger and I went out earlier this morning to shovel and clean up. Here are some photographs of the campus in winter!