 Dear Plymouth,
Some things in life are rooted in science, while others remain a mystery, and some are both. Our livestream has been unreliable for much of this Lenten season, and many of you are aware that our theme for this time is Embodied. For some, this has been a significant frustration, and my heart especially goes out to those unable to attend church on Sunday mornings because of illness, injury, distance, or because it feels inaccessible to get up and out. [I promise, we are working on it!] As a pastor, metaphors come easily to me, and this situation has made me reflect deeply on the incarnate nature of our faith. As Christians, our human bodies are meant to gather—together, in time, in person, in the flesh, in one place. [Please don’t misunderstand this as a dismissal of modern technology.] Still, I can't help but feel that our livestream issues point to the mystery of God’s handiwork in this season of Lent--Embodied. For the past few weeks, we have been practicing a faith that is truly in the flesh:
In light of all this, the interruption of our livestream serves as a reminder of what we have been learning: the embodied nature of our faith. It challenges us to consider how we experience and live out our faith in real, tangible ways, both individually and as a community. Just as our bodies need care and attention to thrive, so too does our community, and the presence of God among us. This is where I see the hope in our world today. If you have missed the past few weeks and are interested in catching up on some of the concepts, don’t hesitate to contact me or Pam. See you soon! Peace, Marta
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 Text version at bottom Dear Plymouth, We are heartbroken. Not because the election turned out a certain way – democracy is democracy. We are heartbroken because we fear what may come. This past Sunday, we asked the following question: What would make today good? Amid the grief and anxiety, we still ask, what would make today good? We know that some will be in despair, some will wear their fighting gloves, while others will avoid and hide, and some will find themselves stunned and in shock. At Plymouth, we have room for all of these responses. We will hold space for all these responses and allow the wells of grief to simply be. Our vision for the community is one where all might flourish and be safe. The threat of mass deportations, the threat against women’s reproductive rights, and the threat against LGBTQ+ siblings make a whole part of our community vulnerable. People on the margins fear for their well-being and safety in new and intensified ways. A good day looks like steering clear of the news and social media. We invite you to be present with each other. Have good, long conversations with your Plymouth people. Attend to your hearts and souls. Let today be a day of caring for yourself and your neighbor, friend, and colleague. We are not alone, Plymouth: God’s love is with us, God’s presence is real, God’s work is strategic. In 1957, the United Church of Christ was created in the merger of the Evangelical and Reformed Church, the General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches, and the Afro-Christian Convention. The UCC has been among the “first” on many justice issues [see here]. We will open our doors. We will extend radical hospitality and lean into a mission of mutual aid and care for all. We will center relationships with all of our siblings across barriers and bridges. At every decision, we will ask, “How does this meet our mission and vision as a progressive Christian community in Fort Collins?” God is with us in the midst of all of this. Our call is to love — to love our neighbors and pray for those who persecute us. We will model this Love for the whole world. We will rise. In Peace and Grace, Marta [she/her, x113] , Brooklyn [she/her, x118], and Delaney [they/them, x119] * *For post-election (or other) pastoral care, contact one of us by calling the church at (970) 482-9212 and entering the extension of the person you want to reach, which will forward to our cell numbers. You do not need to listen to the outgoing message first. Instructions on Living in a Broken World
lean into community seek out love applaud the good you see keep paying attention talk to your neighbors dance to the music and embrace art look for love and small joys take breaks and relish in nourishing your body donate what you can linger at the dinner table with friends check in with your people let yourself grieve love one another as deeply as you can the storm is upon us and we must hold on don’t give up, we’re here together. - still we rise If you missed worship this past Sunday and need a little something to move your heart and soul this week, check out the psalms that our church members wrote: Elaine Kim, Megan Campain, Bob Jeffrey, Carlos Sosa, and Rev. Marta. View here. Sharing the Pulpit this June! Check out our guest preachers/wisdom sharers for this June. We are all about celebrating and beloved community.
Remember the Sabbath day and treat it as holy. - Exodus 20:8
A troop of monkeys gathered in the trees above our heads as we wandered the jungle sidewalks this morning. We were looking for a yoga studio where we could practice at 11 a.m. I said, “Hello, friends!” [to the monkeys] and thanked them for joining the community of saints this morning—all the critters that live among the varieties of palm trees, sweet-smelling flowers, and veiled in a heavy dew. I was so delighted to see these monkeys. They made the ride from Liberia, Costa Rica, to Nosara in a fifteen-passenger van on “developing” roads, worth every nauseous moment the day before. Last fall, I began planning this continuing education week a few months after I finished an academic program at Ilff. My postgraduate work spanned from 2010 to 2023, give or take a few years of break. I wanted a different type of education. I signed up for a yoga and meditation retreat in Costa Rica, not knowing anyone but knowing that my sacred body and mind needed this work to ground my ministry with the sacred bodies and souls of all of you. In the Fall of 2023, I learned that Plymouth’s personnel committee reviews a continuing education proposal from pastors before approving the time away. This is a great way to ensure accountability and a connection to the work. I decided to call the proposal Rest is Resistance. Soon after I decided on this excursion, Rev. Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson, the pastor of First Congregational in Loveland, said she would like to join me. A few days later, her long-time friend Nikki [whom I met during that time period] also wanted to join us! A few months later, I met Allison at the yoga studio in Fort Collins, where she became my traveling companion. Her friend Meg joined us from Delaware. I practiced yoga at Yoga Pod in Fort Collins approximately four times a week and got to know the beautiful instructor, Joy, who is facilitating this retreat in Costa Rica. All of a sudden, it’s monkey business! And I feel like I am hanging in a monkey tree with a barrel of monkeys in the middle of a Costa Rica jungle. Perhaps this is a tiny miracle if you believe in those. I thought I was going alone, but I now have new friends. I knew what my body needed, I knew what my soul needed, and God knew what I needed. Here is what Thandiwe and I worked on together as our continuing education proposal: Rest and sabbath are foundational concepts in scripture. Our creation story includes a full day of rest -- and it’s God resting. If God needs rest, so do we! Jesus regularly retreats and rests. Gospel stories tell us of wilderness and mountain excursions; water turned into wine, and naps in boats. If I have learned nothing this past year, it is that rest and sabbath are necessary and life-sustaining spiritual practices. The practices of rest and sabbath stand in sharp contrast to our culture’s focus on productivity and doing, doing, doing. Occasionally, our “self-care” practices are escapes rather than rest -- watching television, scrolling through our social media feeds, or going on a shopping spree (just to name a few that I enjoy). Do these activities really rest our bodies, minds, and souls? I can’t speak for you, but for me, they don’t. If we are to take scripture seriously, rest is most often characterized by activities that engage our body, mind, and spirit:
More than just a beautiful place to escape, this is an opportunity to rediscover and renew my energy: mind, body, and spirit. It is an opportunity to explore the idea of rest as resistance -- not just as theory but as embodied practice. It is also an opportunity for me to invite our congregation to this mindset. Given my first year at Plymouth and what we know about ministry, this will be an opportunity that I can take to stave off burnout and ensure I am spiritually well as we continue our shared ministry. And, of course, this kind of “rest as resistance” learning must involve more than just a yoga retreat. I listed some books in the original proposal. But I was recently given some new books that feel more relevant to the church and me. My retreat reading will include:
In my original proposal, I suggested regularly journaling. Instead, I plan to write several blog posts about this time to share with all of you this week. Your connection to me and this work is important. Tricia Hersey writes about rest as a form of protest against production. She writes about her lived experience as a melanated person. She says, “Rest supports our grieving by allowing space, and with space, we can begin healing from the trauma of grind culture [or healing from the trauma of anything]. Grieving is a sacred act and one of the ways we can begin to reconnect with our bodies as we craft a rest practice.” What is your “rest practice” going to be this week? How do we transform grief into power? Lay and rest in these questions. ~ Marta  This week, we are entering the third week of Resurrection in the Time of Climate Change, the Eastertide programming. The weeks have been rich with films and speakers, and we are excited about this Sunday’s Earth Fair during fellowship hour.
As we delve into the concept of ecosystems, I am reminded of the diverse ecosystems we are a part of: our families, our church, and the vast ecosystem of our planet. I am also reflecting on the intersections of our communities and identities and the potential for us to unite and support each other across differences, divides, and equity. I believe that this unity can have a profound impact on our climate and our world. I have attached a link to another of Jesus Has Left the Building podcasts in our season called "Altered States" (here). In this episode called "Kin-dom Work with Queen and Princess," we invite Queen [who leads a radical Black group here in Fort Collins called New Eyes Village] and her activist friend Princess to share their work. Some of you know that New Eyes Village is nesting at Plymouth. Some of you met Queen and her community. If not, this is a way to get to know her by listening to the story. The podcast episode is not about environmental justice but of Queen and Princess’s experiences. Studies also tell us that environmental racism is most prevalent in disproportionately impacted communities. As you listen, consider all the intersections this week. Our planet. Impacted communities near and far. Marta  COVID has changed how we think about so much, including the church. In a post-COVID world, faith communities have been invited to think anew about their building and land. What is the role of the building and the land in the church’s mission to its surrounding community? What does the church and its land/building owe to the surrounding community, if anything?
Post-COVID, churches are invited to consider their land and buildings as shared assets of the community to maximize their mission. Even mature and thriving congregations have relatively low space usage. This reality is becoming more apparent. Some congregations are rethinking how they use their physical space. As you may know, I have a podcast with Reverend Doctor Mandy Todd called Jesus Has Left the Building. In this season of the podcast, we hear the stories of several local Fort Collins congregations that re-imagined how they live in relationship to their physical space and land. Many of you have already heard the story of Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (DOC) and how they shared their land to create affordable housing. They are getting brand new neighbors who eat, sleep, work, and live near the church, indeed on its land. Listen to this inspiring story by Pastor Melissa and Pastor Wendy. Season 8, Altered States, Episode 1 Faith is Built on Three Legs. Marta  Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay Dear Plymouth,
It’s good to be entering the season of Lent with all of you. I consider this season a time of curiosity. I am in awe of the beauty of our separate and shared lives. I am glad to be journeying with you and this congregation this year. I love joining you in homes, breaking bread together, sharing our lives, taking ourselves and our values into the public square, and engaging in important local issues. It’s fun to share stories about our personal lives- our favorite T.V. shows, what makes our professions important, and talking about what Jesus means to you! Who is Jesus to you and how does he show up in your faith? I think about this a lot. Jesus often invites and calls me into community. Sometimes, it is a familiar community and sometimes an unrecognizable one- but it is always community. INVITATIONS for you into Community this Lent: The Immigration Ministry Team invites you to join the Fort Collins community at the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, February 20. We will be rallying for peace and love and asking for a Cease Fire Resolution to be passed so that our city can join the list of other cities in the U.S. asking for the same thing. We will meet in the parking lot at 5:40 pm at the City Hall [the patio outside the main door of the City Council Chambers, 300 Laporte Ave]. I have signed up to talk at the Rally. The youth group will be making us large red hearts to wear around our necks as a sign of solidarity as we all witness the horror that is happening in the West Bank–Palestine–Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and others - our vision must be to protect and love and call for peace here and around the world. The Interfaith Council of Fort Collins invites you to join a suicide prevention event on Thursday, March 7, 9-10:30 am at Plymouth! I also invite you to reach out to me if you want to have coffee or sit together and explore your faith during this time of Lent, this time of deepening. I am easy to find. My email is [email protected] and my cell phone is: 719-306-4037 If you have any questions about these events don’t hesitate to contact me. Love and Peace this Lenten Journey, Marta Hi all!
Here is the link to Adult Christian Formation. Please take note of an upcoming book study: Who Will Be a Witness by Drew Hart. To begin, you can listen to the Jesus Has Left the Building podcast episode Get Your Blue Jeans On! [9/26/2020] You can access the podcast on Spotify (earlier link) or Apple podcasts. The group will gather on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. in the Forum Room and we hope you join us. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help getting the book or listening to the podcast. I'd be happy to get you set up. Stay warm and cozy and light that candle! Marta |
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