ChristianVoiceMonthly.com
Volume 25 | Issue 11
Page 17
FAITH & FOOTPRINTS
First Parish Church – Plymouth, Massachusetts As we approach Thanksgiving, many of us reflect on the history of the Pilgrims coming to North America in search of religious freedom. With this in mind, First Parish Church in Plymouth, Massachusetts has a steep history and culture reflecting back hundreds of years. First Parish Church is the birthplace of religious freedom in America. The congregation was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims that landed in Plymouth. With continuous records dating back to 1606 from Scrooby, England, where these freedom-seekers were forced to worship in secret, Plymouth’s First Parish Church is possibly the oldest continuous Western spiritual institution in America. During the Pilgrims’ first winter in Plymouth, described as the ‘winter of death,’ the settlers worshipped in a small, wooden structure near the harbor. A fort was constructed in 1622 and served as a place of worship until the Pilgrims built their first church in 1648—a simple square structure. As the congregation grew and the structure fell into disrepair, it was replaced in 1683 by the second church. In 1744, the town gave the church land to build the third church to replace the 1683 structure and remained in use until 1831, when a fourth building, a large, gothic, wooden church, was constructed. In 1892, the Pilgrims lost a fourth church to fire and set out to build yet another church that
By Kelly Wise Valdes
would “enshrine the values and faith that have made our nation great.” That vision became reality thanks to many generous donors throughout America and was completed in 1897 and dedicated in 1899. This is the current building that still holds worship services today. Envisioned to be a lasting memorial to the Pilgrims, the present 1899 church sits on the site where the Mayflower’s brave sailors gathered to worship nearly 400 years ago. The church represents the freedoms founded by the Pilgrims—freedoms that continue to draw immigrants to America from around the world. In 2014, the church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior due to its historic importance and architectural significance. At the dedication in 1899, Arthur Lord, president of the Pilgrim Society, proclaimed: “To this generation came the duty and the opportunity to erect upon the ruins of the old church, a memorial, simple yet enduring, to the religious life of its founders, the last and best of the great memorials to the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Long may it stand, sustaining, elevating and inspiring the life and thought of this community, its portals ever open to the ‘new light yet to come.’” For more information on First Parish Church Plymouth Church, visit www.firstparishplymouth.org.
Live Like You Mean It ...
Evidence Of Life In Church By Derek Maul
“The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” – Colossians 3:16. I want to talk about the evidence of life in church. You see, I witnessed a baptism recently and I’m not sure that anyone got wet! And I listened to a sermon where I’m not sure that anyone was inspired. I understand that baptism is symbolic, and that sermons are not delivered so that people can feel entertained. But
I want to see the water and feel the fire. I want splash, sparks, overflow or at least significant dripping. I want tears and laughter. I want to see the immediacy of the Spirit. I want to know that something important is happening, something that feeds my soul and infuses me with life. Church may not be a place to be entertained, but people must know they have been in the presence of God. It’s not that the Holy has to be loud so much as palpable. I would like to think that people could come to church and feel in a sense that they have been baptized
Expiration 12/01/2021
again, every time. That people could witness such irrepressible life in the preacher that there’s a splash zone for that too. Church is where the love gets all over you, where the leaders are so filled up with Jesus that just the light of God in their eyes is enough to make you want to listen, where even the children sit on the edges of their seats sometimes and pay attention, where taking communion makes your eyes well up with tears because the truth of it is so evident in the community, where you look forward to your class or your small group because
Expiration 12/01/2021
your heart is filled and your mind is challenged, where you invite your friends to join you because you know so truly that God is there. Where deep calls to deep. Let’s not forget the kind of dynamic life Jesus has invited us into. Derek Maul has written for many news outlets, including the Tampa Tribune, The United Methodist News Service, All Pro Dad, FOCUS Magazine, Newsweek, USA Today, The Christian Science Monitor, Presbyterians Today, Guideposts, Chicken Soup for the Soul and many other publications. Read Derek Maul’s daily blog posts at www.derekmaul. wordpress.com
Expiration 12/01/2021
