“They passed a law in '64

And some things will never change”

The singer Bruce Hornsby recorded a song in the 1980s about poverty and racial segregation, lamenting, “that’s just the way it is, and some things will never change.” I hear that phrase when people feel that a situation is hopeless or when they are unwilling to change something they know is not right. Even when people don’t use those exact words, I have detected a familiar “that’s just the way it is” tone of resignation when we aspire to address the scourges of poverty, racism, racist policing, and community violence. More recently, it has been the swirling subtext in the discussions about whether the most recent mass shooting of small children in Uvalde, Texas, may finally lead to a federal legislative response to gun violence. As people plan and hope for the possibilities of actually doing something about the easy availability of guns, the persistence of a “that’s just the way it is” status quo lurks in the background.

As a person of faith, the most potent antidote I possess to the “that’s just the way it is” attitude is the gospel, the good news of God’s love and liberation for all. In Jesus’ ministry to marginalized people in occupied territory, he never accepted that the poverty, oppression, captivity, and exploitation imposed on vulnerable people by empire was just the way it was. His prophetic imagination inspired belief in not only God’s promise to make things right but also in the power of bearing witness to faith, hope, and love that could be the catalyst for fundamental change amid violence, persecution, and oppression.

As a community of faith, we give voice to faith, hope, and love in songs, prayers, and liturgies. We declare our intentions to do social justice, speaking loudly about racial injustice, ending poverty and homelessness, and addressing state and community violence. But even as we do, we are haunted by the fear that “that’s just the way it is.” Resist it with all your might. As another artist sang, “don’t accept that what is happening is just a case of others’ suffering.” Until we are willing to see that the injustices of our time don’t have to be just the way it is and manifest in our own lives and actions the profound acts of grace and reconciliation that God shows creation, then our claims about racial justice or social justice are nothing more than what the theologian Willie James Jennings describes as “socially exhausted idealist claims masquerading as serious theological accounts.” We cannot become what people have in mind when they conclude in pessimism and resignation, “that’s just the way it is.” Things can change.

Masking in the church building is strongly recommended.

There is a "Mask Only" Section available in the Sanctuary and marked for those wishing for extra security.

Love Is the Spirit of This Church

TRUE LOVE

Worship in the Sanctuary this Sunday; the congregation is welcome in person or to watch via Livestream on Facebook, YouTube, or Plymouth.org/worship.

Chancel Flowers are given in celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. 

Thursdays at 9 a.m. - online

Agenda 

Approve minutes from: 

Reports: 

Roll Call of: 

Action Items:* 

To register for the June 8 session at noon. Register here.

To register for the June 9 session at 6 p.m. Register here.

Plymouth's Leadership Council and Clergy invite Plymouth members into a conversation about the intention, images, and impact of the summer embroidery, Summer of the First Amendment. We will be together for 90 minutes beginning with a presentation followed by a time for questions and comments. 

CALL TO ACTION: WE NEED YOUR HELP TO GROW

Please contact Elizabeth Blanchette if you’re interested in either opportunity.

Theater 45° presents What We Hold: Plays of Black Healing. Commissioned two years ago, these three plays by Antonio Duke, C. Michael Menge, and Atlese Robinson are rooted in an experience of reading My Grandmother's Hands together. Directed by Kymani Kahlil, this performance is free of charge with no registration required. Monday, June 6, at 7 p.m. in Guild Hall at Plymouth Church, Minneapolis.

Access the registry here: https://www.target.com/gift-registry/gift/filllydiascloset

Plymouth Drop-in for low-income adults who live with mental illness happens every Wednesday and Thursday, but third Wednesday is always bingo. Donations of practical prizes like toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, and soap are much appreciated and can be left in the Bingo Box in Jones Commons. Adult coloring and puzzle books are also great, as is almost anything "gently used" as they say at the thrift stores.

Peter and Jane Eichten’s daughter Katie and her husband Jared are working tirelessly for the refugees coming into Bulgaria. Click here to read a letter from Katie that explains what is going on and their involvement. Peter and Jane are collecting monetary donations through checks or Venmo to support Katie and Jared and their community as they shelter refugees and help them re-establish life in Bulgaria. 100% of the money will be going to the Ukrainian refugees. For more information on to how to offer your support, please contact Peter pjeichten@hotmail.com (612-708-7134) or Jane jeichten24@gmail.com (612-813-1831).

We hand out a lot of bags—more than 100 each Sunday! We need more large paper grocery bags with handles, and we hope you can help. Please bring your bags to the collection bin outside Plymouth’s Jones Commons each Sunday through Thursday from 8:45 a.m. to noon.

The clergy and staff at Plymouth are continuing to work to care for and support you—our congregation—and, as mentioned above, our essential building tenants. Our need for your support continues. Please consider making a gift online (click here), texting your gift to 612/999-2874 or sending in a check (1900 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis 55403). Mail is being collected securely and safely each day. We are so grateful for you!