“We know ourselves through the art and act of remembering.”

 —bell hooks, Belonging 

Remember

Rev. Dr. DeWayne L. Davis

In Montgomery, Alabama, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration provides an immersive experience of United States history through the lives and narratives of Black people. At the end of the tour of the halls and exhibits at the museum, there is a large room called “The Reflection Space,” in which the faces of “hundreds of people who worked throughout their lives to challenge racial injustice” cover the walls. As spirituals and sacred music fill the room with its soft lighting and tranquil colors of bronze and copper, one gets the sense that one must not skip over this opportunity to stop, wait, and reflect. To leave without looking at the faces of those who have worked so hard for justice would be to short-circuit a most necessary part of the experience. So, these workers of justice and I joined in silent meditation and conversation, connecting across years and bridging image and flesh in the act of remembrance. Ida B. Wells Barnett, Coretta Scott King, and Frederick Douglass are a few faces on which I lingered. I was transfixed, held in their gaze, and called to listen and remember. It felt as if I could almost hear them whisper, “remember.”

The act of remembering is a powerful practice. Perhaps that’s why so many people continue to forget and attempt to suppress the testimonies of history. Without a memory of the injustices confronted or struggles overcome, fraught and disorienting present troubles and injustices can easily overwhelm us. Mired in unfaith and anxiety, unable to draw on the enduring wisdom of those who’ve gone before us and struggled to create a just society, solidarity and movement may feel wholly inadequate to meet the moment. I recently confessed to others how lost and dismayed I felt in the aftermath of the police killing of Tyre Nichols by police officers in Memphis, TN. I admitted that I did not know if my writing, preaching, and advocacy made a difference. Then I remembered those faces from “The Reflection Space.” Remember.

Throughout the Bible, in both Testaments, during times of doubt, trial, and unfaith, people are urged to remember. At critical moments of their journey in the wilderness and banishment in exile, God, Moses, and the prophets urge Israel to remember their years in bondage and how God delivered them by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Jesus called on his disciples throughout his ministry to remember, often asking them at critical moments of unfaith and anxiety, “do you not remember?” As many turn their attention to the observance of Black History Month, I can think of no better way to do so than to commit to the intentional, subversive practice of remembering, of combating the kind of unfaith that comes with forgetting how we’ve overcome because of the work, witness, and sacrifice of those who’ve gone before us. Remember.

DeWayne L. Davis

February 5, 2023

Seth Patterson preaches, “Reorder?”

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 with guest saxophonist, David Milne

ICARUS

Ralph Towner

Sundays @ 10

Sunday Forum

Writing as a Spiritual Practice with Sam King

Small Group Discussions

Discussion with the Deacons

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

WHEN MARY WENT TO THE TEMPLE

Arthur B. Jennings

WAKE UP, MY SPIRIT

Adolphus Hailstork

COME DOWN, O LOVE DIVINE

William H. Harris

Contemplative Prayer is offered:

Thursdays at 9 a.m. - online

You Can Help with Worship!

All are welcome to serve as ushers! Please sign up to serve as an 11:00 usher as often as you're able in February and March. And invite a friend or family member to become involved.

Serving as an usher involves coming to the narthex by 10:30 and handing out bulletins prior to worship. Also we're taking up offering, passing collection bowls through the pews. Note that March 5 will be a Communion Sunday.

For more information, text Andrea Bubula at 612-929-0804. Thank you!

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

February 5

Sunday Forum 10 a.m.

Writing as a Spiritual Practice

By paying homage in writing to important experiences in our lives, by expressing awe at how the natural world is made, by voicing outrage at injustice, by exulting in the sensual details that describe people, creatures, and things we love, all of these can be considered acts of worship. When we put into words what moves us, enrages us, grieves us, delights us we bring ourselves closer to the Source of all Being.

12:15 p.m. (immediately after second service)

Literary Reading: After Second Service

 in the Chapel

Followed by a Reception in the Conn Gallery

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 5 in the Conn Gallery. 

Following the reading, there will be a reception in the gallery. The book will be available for purchase at the reception.

Notes from the Shelf Elf

Sam King is coming! She will be presenting “Writing as Spiritual Practice” on Sunday, February 5, at 10 a.m. Sam is a poet and former member of Plymouth Church. If you want to read some of Sam’s literary work, or more books on this topic by other authors—some Plymouth authors—come to Plymouth’s Elaine Marsh Library and head for our display bookcase. We’re always ready to help. Check it out! 

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, but registration required.

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 and 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

Climate and Environmental Energy Speaker Series

Monday, February 13, 6–7 p.m.

Stand Alone Battery Energy Storage: its role in the transition to a zero-carbon economy and renewable energy.  

How are large scale batteries helping to speed the transition to clean energy? Join us to learn about the work of Power Plus, a major standalone battery storage company working to support energy production from wind, solar, and other green technologies.

Speaker: Rachel Walker, Plymouth member and Development team member at Plus Power, LLC. 

Re-imaging Community Safety: 

A Virtual Town Hall with Senator Bobby Joe Champion and Rep. Jamie Long

February 16, 7–8 p.m.

Online only

Please join Plymouth Congregational Church and the Rev. Dr. DeWayne L. Davis for a conversation about re-imagining community safety at the state legislature. 

We are honored to welcome President of the Senate Bobby Joe Champion and Majority Leader Jamie Long as part of this important conversation about public safety bills at the state legislature. Come learn about legislative proposals that help re-imagine community safety, including public safety reforms that prioritize racial justice.

This event is organized by the Re-imagining Community Safety (“RICS”) subgroup of Plymouth’s Racial Justice Initiative

Make a Joyful Noise—with Ukuleles!

Third Monday of each month, beginning 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.

Study of Matthew's Gospel

Beginning February 28

Tuesdays at 10:15 a.m.

Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

The Gospel According to Matthew

Matthew’s gospel, written somewhere between 80 and 95 CE, is the first book in the Christian Scriptures. It was not the first gospel written that distinction goes to Mark. Perhaps it is first because it was written for and by a Christian community composed of mainly Jewish members, and because of that, it follows the Hebrew Scriptures in our Bibles. This course will dig deep into the radical teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It will investigate the role Empire has had in how following Jesus changed, and its consequences for today.

The course will be held in-person only on Tuesday mornings from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. and repeated on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The course will begin on February 28 and run consecutively for five weeks.

New Member Spotlight

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

Kate Taber 

I am an ordained Presbyterian minister raised by Unitarian Universalists and excited to explore the ways that Plymouth might offer both the theological grounding of the Presbyterian tradition and the spiritual freedom of the UU tradition. My husband and I live in South Minneapolis with our five-year-old, Rosie, and two-year-old, Charlie. We moved to Minnesota from South Carolina this past summer to be closer to family, and I am accepting all advice about embracing winter. I serve as a congregational organizer with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative and would love to talk with you about it! 

“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.

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