CONTENTS 14 3 5 15 6 7 8 10 11 12 Rev. Dr. Valerie Miller-Coleman’s View From Here Column
Chancel Flowers In 2020
The Plymouth Players Present “An Evening with Cole Porter”
Join Plymouth’s Sunday Fellowship Circles
Lenten Covenant Groups
Ash Wednesday at Plymouth
Plymouth’s Mental Wellness Resource Team
Join the Plymouth Prayer Team
Nature Walk at the arboretum
Defeating Covid-19: Sign up for the vaccine
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The
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By Rev. Dr. Valerie Miller-Coleman
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ooking through the 2020 Annual Report almost made me cry. We had an extraordinary year under extraordinary circumstances; that’s inarguable. What actually almost made me cry, however, was re-reading my first letter to you regarding the plan to worship by broadcast and move most staff to remote work. I wrote to you from a corner of my house where I’d managed to find a little quiet while our make-shift homeschool buzzed and swirled all around me. What brought up some big feelings is how normal all of this now seems. This afternoon I’m writing to you from the middle of the swirl. Leo, our now-first-grader, is on my left working away on some kind of math program on the school Ipad (he swears it’s about math – I’m suspicious it’s mainly about cute animals). Lucy, our nowfifth-grader, is giggling and chatting with her teacher and small-group via Web-ex on my right. Ben’s upstairs, meeting with his colleagues by zoom and drafting a motion to dismiss. Lawrence, our almostfour-year-old is (blessedly) at preschool where he is thriving and out from under our feet. I just finished drafting Sunday’s sermon and tackling twelve or thirteen loose ends via email. In a minute here I’ve got a zoom meeting with Steve Clark and Jane Heusemann to check in on the progress of our Facilities Master Planning project. Tomorrow will be a day of rest. I’m ready for it, believe me. While this all seems nearly normal now, I’m deeply aware of how much it costs us to maintain this semiequilibrium. It takes enormous energy to hold steady in such an unsteady time. We’re expending
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H E R E
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tremendous effort on a daily basis just to keep our balance. I don’t just mean my family, or families like ours, either. We’re all doing a hard thing together here. Please be kind to yourself and to all whose lives touch yours. Grace abounds and it’s for us. In just a handful of days, we’ll make the turn into Lent. If you haven’t already heard, something beautiful is about to break loose among us during Lent. We’ll be hauling buckets of living water up from deep, holy wells of companionship and prayer. Lenten Covenant Groups are those wells. These facilitated small-groups will gather Wednesday evenings throughout Lent. You can learn more about them here in the Rock and at www.plymouthlawrence.com. If you are feeling dry, zoomed out, skeptical of your fellow-humans, or just past the point, I would like to give you a gentle, pastoral nudge: a Lenten Covenant Group might be exactly what you need. The main thing is not to miss the window of opportunity that’s opening here. Over the next several weeks we’ll be making our way together out of the grip of winter, into Holy Week and all that lies beyond the cross and the grave. Be part of it. It’s going to be beautiful. It will be more beautiful if you’re there too. See you in church,
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oin the Plymouth Players from the comfort of your own home for an evening of music by Cole Porter. With a catalog of over 800 songs, you’ll hear such standards as “Let’s Misbehave,” “Blow, Gabriel Blow,” “Another Op’nin’, Another Show,” “Begin the Beguine,” and maybe even a few you’ve never heard of like “Lost Lib-
erty Blues,” and “Thank You So Much Mrs. Lowsborough-Goodby.” Cole Porter composed scores for the hit musicals “Anything Goes,” “Kiss Me Kate,” and “High Society,” to name a few. With With a talent for creating original melodies and clever witty lyrics, his music continues to amuse and touch audiences with excitement and newness.” 5
Our Plymouth community will gather together in small groups on Wednesday evenings throughout the season of Lent.
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o you miss gathering with our church community and other sacred circles in your life? Do you find that you grow and thrive in the company of trusted friends? Do you want to get to know more Plymouth members & feel more connected to our spiritual family?
All are welcome and encouraged to participate. We will grow together in faith and love through conversation, reflection, and spiritual practices shared in each facilitated group. Our curriculum is entitled "Grateful" based on Diana Butler Bass' book. ASH WEDNESDAY We will also have Lenten Covenant Group bags at our Ashes to Go Blessing on Wednesday February 17, from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. out in front of the church.
Join us this Lent for our Covenant Groups! Our Plymouth community will gather together in small groups on Wednesday evenings throughout the season of Lent.
GOT ZOOM FATIGUE? Are you suffering from Zoom fatigue? This is a different kind of Zoom experience to help balance out your work Zoom fatigue. Zoom will feel different in this context!
These Lenten Covenant Groups will meet at 7 p.m. by Zoom on Wednesdays during Lent (February 24 - March 31). Sign up here!
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wing by Plymouth Churc h on Ash Wednesday, February 17, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. to receive ashes and a blessing as we begin our Lenten journey
together. At this event, Plymouth’s Christian Education Board will also provide Lenten Covenant Group bags and family-oriented toolkits. Sign up for Lenten Covenant Groups on page 6. 7
Our mission is... To advocate for understanding within our
Plymouth congregation through education and information about mental illness.
To connect people in need to local mental health resources and services.
To support individuals and their families within our congregation with compassion. To learn more about the Mental Wellness Resource Team, to volunteer, or to seek support for yourself or your family, contact Welcome and Care Coordinator Liz Smith at 785843-3220, ext. 6 or one of the pastors: Rev. Dr. Valerie Miller-Coleman or Rev. Caroline Lawson Dean.
Mental Health Wellness Tips for Quarantine Adapted from an article by Jessica Lynn Blackbourn, Educational & Clinical Psychologist at Ashdale Care in Ireland.
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s a faith community that embraces inclusion and compassion for all, it’s important that we take intentional steps to understand and truly support those among us who are struggling with mental health issues. This year Plymouth CC joins the Interfaith Mental Health Outreach organization to form our own Mental Wellness Resource Team, comprised of volunteer members of our congregation who are committed to serving those experiencing the pain of mental illness, personally or within their family.
Did you know...
Stick to a routine. Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, write a schedule that is varied and includes time for work as well as self-care.
Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have. Get showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, wash your face, brush your teeth. Put on some bright colors. It is amazing how our dress can impact our mood.
Get out at least once a day, for at least thirty minutes. If you are concerned about contact, try first thing in the morning, or later in the evening, and try less traveled streets. It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.
Find some time to move each day, again daily for at least thirty minutes. If you don’t feel comfortable going outside, many YouTube videos offer free movement classes, and if all else fails, turn on the music and have a dance party!
Reach out to others at least once daily for thirty minutes. FaceTime, Skype, phone calls, texting—connect with other people to seek and provide support.
Stay hydrated and eat well. This one may seem obvious, but stress and eating often don’t mix well, and we find ourselves over-indulging, forgetting to eat, and avoiding food. Drink plenty of water, eat some good
One in five adults experience some form of mental illness each year.
One in seventeen adults lives with a long-term condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or recurring major depression.
15% of teens have experienced some form of serious depression or other mental illness - yet 60% of those received no treatment. (Source: NAMI.org)
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and nutritious foods, and challenge yourself to learn how to cook something new!
Give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and a wide berth. A lot of cooped up time can bring out the worst in everyone. Each person will have moments when they will not be at their best. It is important to move with grace through blowups, to not show up to every argument you are invited to, and to not hold grudges and continue disagreements. Everyone is doing the best they can to make it through this.
Lower expectations and practice radical selfacceptance. We are doing too many things at this moment, under fear and stress. Psychologists call for “radical self-acceptance”: accepting everything about yourself, your current situation, and your life without question, blame, or pushback. You cannot fail at this— there is no roadmap, no precedent for this, and we are all truly doing the best we can in an impossible situation.
Limit social media and COVID conversation, especially around children. One can find tons of information on COVID-19 to consume, and it changes minute to minute. The information is often sensationalized, negatively skewed, and alarmist. Find a few trusted sources that you can check in with consistently, limit it to a few times a day, and set a time limit for yourself on how much you consume (again 30 minutes tops, 2-3 times daily).
Notice the good in the world, the helpers. There is a lot of scary, negative, and overwhelming information to take in regarding this pandemic. There are also a ton of stories of people sacrificing, donating, and supporting one another in miraculous ways. It is important to counter-balance the heavy information with the hopeful information.
Help others. Find ways, big and small, to give back to others. Support restaurants, offer to grocery shop, check -in with elderly neighbors, write psychological wellness tips for others—helping others gives us a sense of agency when things seem out of control.
Find a long-term project to dive into. Now is the time to learn how to play the keyboard, put together a huge jigsaw puzzle, start a 15-hour game of Risk, paint a picture, read the Harry Potter series, binge watch an 8season show, crochet a blanket, solve a Rubix cube, or develop a new town in Animal Crossing. Find something that will keep you busy, distracted, and engaged to take breaks from what is going on in the outside world.
Find an expressive art and go for it. Our emotional
brain is very receptive to the creative arts, and it is a direct portal for the release of feeling. Find something that is creative (sculpting, drawing, dancing, music, singing, playing) and give it your all.
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Reach out for help. If you have a therapist or psychiatrist, they are available to you, even at a distance. Keep up your medications and your therapy sessions the best you can. If you are having difficulty coping, seek out help for the first time. The new Mental Wellness Resource Team of Plymouth Church wants to help you get through this difficult time. Although we are physically distant, we can always connect virtually.
Remind yourself daily that this is temporary. It seems in the midst of this quarantine that it will never end. It is terrifying to think of the road stretching ahead of us. Please take time to remind yourself that although this is very scary and difficult, and will go on for an undetermined amount of time, it is a season of life and it will pass. We will return to feeling free, safe, busy, and connected in the days ahead.
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rayer has the power to bring healing, wholeness, peace, and transformation. Prayer is a way of simultaneously caring for yourself and caring for others; it is a way for us to reconnect with the God in each of us and for us to find connection with other persons through the work of God’s Spirit to make a holy difference in our lives.
get through with meeting, even though we’re not necessarily praying for one another.” Plymouth’s Prayer Team is for those who already know the impact of prayer and those who would like to grow deeper in their faith. Our Prayer Partner Ministry comprises over 50 individuals that receive weekly requests to pay prayerful attention to the Plymouth congregation's concerns in their own personal devotion time. Then, the Prayer Team meets via Zoom at 7 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month for intentional intercessory prayer and meditation for persons named in Sunday worship. The team also prays for congregational concerns, our pastors and staff, and community issues. If you are interested in joining for prayer, or in receiving a weekly email list of people to pray for, sign up here. The only requirement for both is to hold in confidence the personal information that is provided.
“Particularly in this season there isn’t one family that doesn’t have someone to pray for — Grandma broke her leg, a cousin has Covid. These are meaningful stories, they help me feel closer to the people of Plymouth.” “We only get first names but God knows who they are, doesn’t make any difference if I do or not. As long as we have a heart for it, he’ll listen to the prayers.” “We all agree—we always feel better when we
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he Fellowship Board is hosting a mid-winter walk at the Lawrence Arboretum. We will gather (in masks) to share a short devotion and learn more about the importance of trees to our global ecosystem. We will stay on a wheelchair accessible path. Come visit with your Plymouth friends in person and celebrate the beauty of God’s creation! Sign up here to let us know you’re interested.
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lymouth cares about its community. If you are interested in taking the COVID-19 Vaccine, but don't know where to start, visit this link from Douglas County Health and fill out the survey in the yellow stripe below.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, KANSAS, COVID-19 VACCINE INTEREST FORM
For residents without access to a computer, a friend or family member can submit the county’s survey form on their behalf.
hours as quickly as they can in the order calls are received. Residents seeking assistance navigating vaccine access or transportation can contact United Way at 785-843-6626.
Residents can also request assistance with the form from the Senior Resource Center by calling 785-842-0543 and leaving a message. Staff will return calls during business
Stay safe. Mask up. We can and will get through this. Keep the faith. ď‚˜
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When: Saturday, March 20, 2021 Who: Plymouth Women Where: The LunaBella Labyrinth and your own home! We will begin on ZOOM in the morning, meet at the labyrinth outside of Lawrence for a socially distanced walk and end with a debriefing on ZOOM in our own homes. Cost: When we receive your payment your registration is complete. Make checks out to "Plymouth Church" (memo line: Women's Retreat - if you don't fill out the memo line we will not receive your registration). $85 - Benefactor (helps cover the cost of those who may not otherwise be able to attend) $65 - Sustainer $45 - Scholarship rate If the cost of the retreat is prohibitive we have full scholarships available! Contact Rev. Caroline Dean for more information. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic hardship for many, this retreat is offered on a sliding scale. Please select the registration fee that best reflects your financial ability. Your contribution is deeply appreciated and allows us to offer this experience to all who may benefit. Thank you! We have limited space therefore this retreat registration is open only to Plymouth members and active participants in our community of faith. Please join us for this sacred time facilitated by Cindy Novelo and Rev. Caroline Dean.
Sign up here! 13
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What’s breaking your heart open these days? Have you ever experienced a sense of "resurrection" in your life? How are you finding hope in this season of pandemic?
issing your Plymouth people? After worship each Sunday, starting at 10:40 a.m., we gather in small groups on Zoom. So far, we have had over 80 different participants take part in Sunday Fellowship Circles—come join the crowd!
Sign up here to receive a group assignment and a Zoom link!
After service ends, grab a mug of coffee or a cup of tea and come say hi. This is a chance to catch up and chat about the service, the sermon, and anything else that might be on your mind. We also provide questions to help guide your discussion and foster deeper spiritual reflection and connection.
Early Reactions to Fellowship Circles “This was a great way to enhance fellowship! I've really missed coffee hour and this is about as close as we can get at this point. Thanks!”
Sample Questions How do you know when God is calling you beyond what's familiar to you? How does it feel?
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“I do love the discussion prompts that helped the ones who assumed leadership. Thank you for helping to facilitate this!”