“We wear the mask. We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries to thee from tortured souls arise.”

—Paul Laurence Dunbar, “We Wear the Mask”

“Inside the mask that each of us wears there is a person who both longs to be known and fears to be known” —Frederick Buechner, The Hungering Dark

Beloved As We Truly Are

Rev. Dr. DeWayne L. Davis

Pope Francis made news recently when he condemned laws that criminalized homosexuality and called on the church to work to end such laws because “being homosexual is not a crime.” It launched a new round of arguments about the biblical and theological status of LGBTQ people. In the U.S., there continues to be a deliberate targeting of transgender and gender-nonconforming people for discrimination, criminalization, and denial of dignity and humanity. People finding the courage to speak up about their needs and experiences in an embodied way have been criticized for too much emphasis on identity politics and denied their voice and place in our democratic experiment. It appears all too easy to dehumanize the other, the immigrant, and the stranger. It is any wonder why people hide who they truly are.

The saddest sight to behold is the person who feels it necessary to code-switch or deny some part of themselves for fear of being judged, rejected, or abused. I have seen the rigid embrace of the trappings of respectability to mitigate the adverse reaction of the majority to one’s race, sex, gender, or ethnicity. And it chills the soul to watch the lengths people go to control what you see and how you see them, hiding behind masks of conformity and respectability in hopes of being a part of the elusive mainstream.

It took a long time for me to drop the masks I wore to hide who I was or to put people at ease with my black body. And I still wrestle with the nagging dehumanizing tropes that occasionally arise, vestiges of a steady stream of anti-black, anti-gay invective embedded within culture, politics, and religion. But I remember the words that transformed my thinking. When I read the psalter declaring in praise, “you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139). We say it often, and we may know it intellectually. Still, it bears repeating: to reject, ostracize, or deny anyone because of their race, sex, gender, orientation, or ethnicity is an assault on ones worth and dignity as a beloved child of God. Invoking God and the Bible in a project of discrimination and segregation is spiritual and emotional sadism that will only steal away what is most beautiful and life-giving about God’s diverse creation. So, we take off the masks because we are fearfully and wonderfully made, created in the image of God, loved by and beloved of God just as we are.

DeWayne L. Davis

January 29, 2023

DeWayne L. Davis preaches, “The Battleground of a Holy Crusade”

9 & 11 a.m.

Masking in the church building is strongly recommended.

Schedule

9 a.m. Worship

Worship is offered online or in person

Music by our Jazz Trio and Chorister Choir

Special Music

A New Year Carol

Benjamin Britten

Sundays @ 10

Sunday Forum

Global Justice

Small Group Discussions

This I Believe | Racial Justice is Personal

Wintergenerational Revival: Water, Puppetry, and Performance

Rooms 203–205

Coffee & Social Time

11 a.m. Worship

Worship is offered online or in person.

Music with the Plymouth Choir and Philip Brunelle

Special Music

THE MORNING STAR

Appalachian Carol

I WONDER AS I WANDER

Carl Rütti

WHAT STRANGERS ARE THESE?

Scottish carol

arr. Richard Purvis

Contemplative Prayer is offered:

Thursdays at 9 a.m. - online

You Can Help with Worship!

At First Service, host families help welcome the congregation and hand out bulletins, give a short peace candle prayer, and help tidy after the service. Second Service lay readers lead the call to worship, give the peace candle prayer, and lead the Lord's Prayer. We'd love your help with our worship!

4 p.m. in Guild Hall

January 29, 10:00–10:50 a.m.



Presented in collaboration with the Immigrant Welcoming Work Group

From a faith-based perspective and experiences in Guatemala and Honduras, Thom Haines of Mayflower’s Global Justice Advocacy Team will present the root causes of migration to the United States from Central America. Thom will challenge the narrative often seen in main-stream media by examining the involvement of the U.S. in Honduras and Guatemala and discuss the role U.S. policy plays in driving migration. He will share what he learned by presenting to the U.S. Embassy staff in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Meet the Living Stones of Israel/Palestine!

Sunday, January 29 

10 a.m. Parson's Room

You are invited to an information session about a 2-week group tour/ pilgrimage to Israel and Palestine that Plymouth Church is planning to offer this Oct./Nov. Joan Deming will serve as the tour coordinator, together with the Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis. An additional information session will take place on Sunday, February 12. 

The tour will include visits to key biblical holy sites but will also focus on discovering the Land through desert and agricultural valley hikes. We will have in-depth visits with Peacemakers whose organizations are working in both Palestine and Israel to celebrate the culture and work for a just peace for all in the Holy Land.

Joan Deming, a new member of the Plymouth family, is a retired United Methodist pastor and nonprofit executive director. Since 2009 she has led 17 group tours to Israel and Palestine with a focus on meeting with and supporting Palestinian Christians, who now comprise only 1-1/2% of Israel/Palestine’s population. 

January 29, 10:00–10:50 a.m.



Small Group Discussion: This I Believe/Racial Justice is Personal

Hosted by the Racial Justice Initiative: After viewing a Plymouth member’s This I Believe/Racial Justice is Personal video statement; the discussion will center around the racial justice issues raised in the video. Chris Bohnhoff’s video is featured this Sunday.

Film Club "Gold Fever"

Sunday, Jan. 29

12:30 p.m.

Host: Immigrant Welcoming Work Group.

Powerful documentary about how gold mines cost Central Americans their dignity and even their lives w/Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and Noam Chomsky. In Jackman with Lenmark, folding doors also open. Discussion after. Coffee & tea. Lunch: BYO, go to Cajun Boiling at noon for takeout, or call Social House (Ethiopian) after 10 a.m. for takeout.

Transfer of Memory

February 6

7 p.m.

Survivors

A play reading of Survivors by Wendy Kout. This is a Theater 45° production in partnership with Six Points Theater. Monday, February 6, at 7 p.m. Free.

Beloved Friend and Poet, Sam King, Returns for Gallery Exhibit, Sunday Forum and Literary Witnesses

February 5

10 a.m.

Shared attitudes of wonder, reverence, and concern for our natural environment led Sam King and Wisconsin photographer, Hal Watson, to collaborate on an exhibit: Though It Can't Last. The exhibit will begin on February 4 in the Howard Conn Gallery. Sam and Hal will also partner on a Sunday Forum in the Chapel from 10 to 10:45 am on February 5.

Immediately after the second service, Sam will be reading at a Literary Witnesses event at 12:15 p.m. in the Chapel. Following the reading, there will be a reception in the gallery. The book will be available for purchase at the reception.

New Member Spotlight

On December 4, 2022, we welcomed new members into our congregation.

Nathan Stock 

Nathan was raised Catholic but had the good fortune to marry a Presbyterian pastor. He is very excited to join Plymouth. Nathan and his family are new (and enthusiastic!) residents of South Minneapolis. When not parenting Charlie (age 2) and Rosie (age 5), Nathan works with the Carter Center to address conflict and political polarization in the United States. He’s also a Non-Resident Scholar with the Middle East Institute and an avid cross-country skier. 

Meaning: A Podcast

When you hear the word performance, what connotations are attached? Authenticity or inauthenticity? Truth or fiction? Host Chris Bohnhoff and Rev. Seth Patterson unpack the meaning of 'performance' and how it relates to acting, preaching, public speaking, and everyday interactions.

“As People of Faith, how do we protect, restore, and rightly share God’s creation?”

Climate and Environmental Justice at Plymouth

Join in work, play, and actions that connect with the earth and support living sustainably. CEJ has been part of Plymouth’s fabric for nearly two decades, fostering ways to lower our carbon footprint (think solar), connect with the land (rain gardens!), champion learning (educational speakers) and celebrate our sacred Mother Earth (Earth Sunday).

As with everything, there comes a time for fresh ideas, new people, and renewed energy. For CEJ the time is now. How can you get involved? What would enliven you? No amount of time is too small, and the possibilities are limitless….

Send us an email to learn more at cej.plymouth@gmail.com 

Or give Jan a call at 612-581-4554

Breakfast and Board Games!

February 11

9:30-11:30 a.m. in Jones Commons and the Education Wing.

People of all ages are invited to come eat some yummy breakfast treats, play some favorite classic board games, or learn some new ones. A great chance to get out of the house in the winter and meet new Plymouth folks! The young and the young at heart are encouraged to attend! For more info or to RSVP, email Ninaj@plymouth.org

Make a Joyful Noise – with Ukuleles!

Third Monday of each Month – Starting February 20

10:30 a.m. in the Chapel

Facilitator – Jill Nelson

Looking for uke players of any level who want to meet others and play music together. We will focus on songs of joy, community, and inspiration. I’ll have some songs to get us started, and I’m hoping you’ll find songs to share with the group. Bring your ukulele and a music stand (if you have one). Questions? Email Jill at jillary17@comcast.net

Ongoing Tuesday Vigils for Justice



Every Tuesday 12-12:30 p.m.

Plymouth Church Building COVID-19 Updates

Wearing a mask is strongly recommended for everyone.

The health, safety, and well-being of all who use Plymouth Congregational Church is our top priority.

Thank You For Your Support