CONTENTS 3 9 Rev. Dr. Valerie Miller-Coleman’s View From Here Column
5
Celebrate Plymouth with Pie!
6 8
Honoring Our 50 Year Members
Advent at Home! Get Your Advent Supplies
Head Start Angel Tree
10
Poinsettias and the Pastors’ Emergency Fund
11 12
Plymouth Tech Check
14
Fall Facilities Report
“Magnificat” Major Choral Work
Cover photo credit: Mike Stutz
2
The
VIEW
F R O M
By Rev. Dr. Valerie Miller-Coleman
Y
ou can blame Mary Kate Ambler for this. Sitting on the patio (socially distanced, of course) late one early fall afternoon, Mrs. Ambler offered me some advice. She suggested I use the space of this column to share a little bit more about myself. The personal side of things is interesting to people and it might help them get to know you, she said. I will admit that one of the hardest things about this dreadful season has been the way it’s interrupted the natural way we’d get to know one another. Over time. In your kitchen. In the bank parking lot. Over coffee and the angry shrieks of small children being ignored by their mother (me). If you like your personal information in short hand, you might like to know that I’m a Myers Briggs ENTP, an Enneagram 4 (with a 3 wing), an Aquarius, an only child of two middle children, a student of Bowen family systems theory and post-structural literary biblical criticism. Tired yet? I love my work. It rarely feels like something I must do and almost always feels like something I get to do. It also doesn’t surprise me that I love my work: my mother loved hers as much as I love mine. My mom is 72 but she doesn’t know that anymore. She’s been living with Alzheimers disease for the last six years. Before that, though, my mom was an entrepreneur and an educator. She only did what she loved. I expected to do the same and I have. It’s a privilege I don’t take for granted.
3
H E R E
The
VIEW
F R O M
H E R E
Our house is an everlasting gobstopper of a rambling family home. It’s extremely yellow because the previous owners must have liked it that way. I’m not sure I do. Nothing hangs straight on any wall. There’s a mysteriously tiny powder room in our front sitting room. I mean tiny. Only my three year old can comfortably use it. We bought the house because it fit five criteria: big yard with fence; ground floor guest room with full bathroom for grandparents; big dining room for hosting family gatherings and lots of friends over for dinner; enough bedrooms for the rest of us; rooms with walls. That last item was particularly important to me – we’re a noisy bunch. No open floor plans for us. In the mornings I march my children around the neighborhood for their own well-being and mine then I blast the house full of the sweet sounds of Ani DiFranco, eat a bowl of muesli and read the Economist. It sounds very earnest and it is. I am very earnest. On my bedside table are these things: my grandmother’s lamp;
a well-thumbed vintage Agatha Christie novel; a Hardy Boys book; a book about how airplanes work; a book filled with inspiring ideas for Minecraft builds; a manual for building a cruise ship from LEGOs; last week’s Times Book Review; a sock; fifty-eight cents; a coaster hand-made by my daughter Lucy; a half-full mug of cold coffee on the coaster. There you go. That’s more than enough about me. Now, dig into this marvelous magazine filled with all the good stuff God’s doing in and through Plymouth Church. I love every bit of it.
44
T
his year, we cannot gather and give thanks in a large group. However, we can still connect with one another through delicious desserts. The Fellowship Board is planning to host a pie drive-through on Saturday, November 21 from 1-3 p.m. and Sunday, November 22 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Come and pick up some pie! On November 22, you can also sign on to Zoom after worship at 10:30 a.m. and enjoy a slice of pie with your Plymouth Family! If you want pie, sign up here! There’s an option to pick up your pie or have it delivered to your porch. This event cannot happen without the support of you all; you can also use the form above to volunteer! If you feel called to bake (or buy!) some pies to share, let us know—you’ll receive instructions on when to drop them off. Come share some delicious pie with the Plymouth community, and know that each piece is connected to all the others in this beautiful communion of baked goods.
55
6
1949
Barbara Murphy
1950
Alice Leonard
1951
T
Alice Blair Barbara Brand Chuck Fisher Julie Hack
hese beloved church memb er s h a ve been a part of Plymouth’s storied history for over 50 years. This month, we honor them and their wisdom, grace and care for Plymouth Church make us who we are. Thanks be to God!
1962 Jerry Cooley Lela Cooley David Phelps Judy Shunk
1963
1961 Ron Johnson Susan McClintic Jim Whitenight
Dottie Daugherty
Bev Mayer
1955 Marilyn Bradt
1956 Bruce Linton Chris Linton Floyd Preston
1957 1960
1959
Elaine Blank Mary Anne King Jeanne Underwood
Patty Rundquist
1969
Larry Johnson Gene Puckett
1967 1965
1964
1954
Kay Bradt Joyce Mullenix Donna Riehm Harold Riehm
Alan Hack 7
Pete Curran Alan Sanders Diane Sanders Audrey Sheridan Debby Wedel
Mark Buhler Lori Michel Jan Willey
Angel Tree Head Start
O
ne of our long-standing Plymouth holiday traditions is the Head Start Angel Tree—an opportunity for us to share our blessings with the children who attend Head Start. The tradition continues this year, with an online signup process. We have wish lists from the children ready to match with sponsors. When you click on the link below, you will find a list of children with their toy wishes, as well as clothing sizes. You can then select the child you wish to sponsor. We ask that you purchase at least one toy (suggested value up to $30) and an outfit of clothing (such as a shirt and pants). Gifts will need to be wrapped, marked with the child’s name and assigned number, and then placed in a large plastic bag, also marked with name and number. Head Start staff will be at the south door of the church on Monday and Tuesday, December 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon to receive your gifts and give you an angel handmade by Paula Aiken to say thank you. If you’d like to participate, click on this link by December 1 and you will be sent a link to select a specific child. If you have questions, please contact Kate Campbell or call 785856-1038.
8
T
he Deacons board with help from the Christian Education Board is providing Advent at Home supplies to deepen your worship experience through the Advent season.
The Deacons will be providing candles and an Advent wreath that you can light each Sunday in Advent. You also will receive a booklet of devotions to read throughout the season while you light your candles. You can sign up for children and youth advent activities to be added to your packet. There are three ways to get your supplies. You can pick them up at the pie pickup on November 22, in person by the Plymouth front entrance on November 28 from 3-5 p.m., or have them delivered by the Deacon's Board. The in-person event on November 28, will have music, luminarias, and warm drinks to usher in the season. If you pick this option we will assign you a time frame to pick up your bag between the 3-5 p.m. period. Fill out this form to let us know what option you prefer. Masks will be required for all pickup options. ď‚˜
9
E
ach year during the Christmas season, we decorate our sanctuary with beautiful poinsettias. This year, due to the global health emergency, we will not be able to offer live poinsettias to church members. However, we are keeping the spirit and mission of the tradition alive. This year Plymouth members and friends may make a donation to the Poinsettia Offering for the Pastors’ Emergency Fund. Our Pastors use this fund to assist Plymouth members, friends, and community members who are in need. During this time, the Pastors’ Emergency Fund has become more important than ever. Make a contribution to Poinsettias for the Pastors’ Emergency Fund
10
A
re you feeling out of the loop? Do you need assistance with Zoom? Not getting the church emails? Need some help to watch the online worship service? Or, do you know someone who needs help with any of these things? If so, contact Welcome and Care Coordinator Liz Smith at (785)843-3220, ext. 6 or email her. She will connect you or your friend with someone who can help!
A
re you good with computers? Born with a smartphone in hand? Are you an email adept or a Zoom master? Or, honestly, are you even just mildly comfortable with modern technology?
Volunteer to help people that need a little assistance with their tech! We’re building a small team of folks that can act as Plymouth’s geek squad over the next few months. As the weather gets colder, people are going to be more isolated— especially people who aren’t good at using computers to communicate. This is a great way to give a little bit of your time to someone so they can stay connected to others all winter long. Sign up here to offer your time and talents for this excellent cause!
11
12
D
uring these months where we have seen very little church usage, we have taken the time to evaluate the health of our three buildings. In the past nine months we have done work with aging air conditioners, the last roof section to be repaired and sealed, carpeting and walls, and finally the stone masonry on the Old Church. These 150 year old pieces of sandstone, limestone, and soft red brick are showing some age. In early September, a large chunk of the 30 foot high piece of sandstone fell off the building and fell onto the Vermont Street sidewalk. This is a danger so we called experts in to evaluate and give us advice. In late October, we began removing all the loose stone and took actions to slow chipping away stone and brick that might fall from all four sides of the 1870 Church. Some of the loose pieces we have taken off so far are quite large. We will be checking the stonework and sealing everything up before the real cold sets in. This is only step one in our restoration efforts. Next, we will be matching the masonry brick and stone colors and restoring them all to their original look. This will be Spring 2021 and beyond. ď‚˜
13
O
Abraham. All of this taking place during her visitation with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.
n Sunday, December 13, “Magnificat” by Francesco Durante will be sung by members of the Chancel Choir, bringing the message that day through music. The biblical text set to music comes from Luke 1:46-55 when Mary sings “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Mary rejoices at the inestimable favor bestowed on her and Israel’s lowly estate. She sings praises to God, recalls the mercies shown to Israel, and sings of the fulfillment of God’s ancient promise to
Francesco Durante (1684-1755), the composer of this music was highly esteemed by his contemporaries, and even at the end of the 19th century was still described as “one of the greatest Italian church composers and composition teachers of all time.” For many years, one of his students, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi was credited with composing this setting of “Magnificat.”
14
This
Christmas... Plymouth Church brings the celebration and joy of the season to the cozy comfort and safety of your homes.
LIVE SERVICE BROADCASTS On YouTube @ Plymouth Church UCC of Lawrence On the Radio @ FM 101.7 & AM 1320 KLWN
Sunday, December 13 @ 9:30 a.m. Major Choral Work “Magnificat” LIVE on YouTube and the Radio
Sunday, December 20 @ 9:30 a.m. Children’s Christmas Pageant LIVE on YouTube
Christmas Eve Children’s Christmas Service @ 4 p.m. Candlelight Service @ 6 p.m. Christmas Concert @ 7:30 p.m. All LIVE on YouTube
www.plymouthlawrence.com
15