Living Resurrection--
with Flowers and Music
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Now the green blade rises
from the buried grain,
wheat that in dark earth
many days has lain;
love lives again,
that with the dead has been;
love is come again
like wheat arising green.
--John M. C. Crum
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Greetings!
I am enjoying this springtime more than most. It has been a hard year, so the flowers and birds and sunshine are extra special.
I love the flowers in front of our church building. I love how they emerge out of the grass—grass that a month ago looked lifeless.
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In the season of Easter, we remember the resurrection of Jesus and we look for resurrection in our world and in our lives. This Sunday, May 2, we celebrate the fifth Sunday of Easter with a picnic and worship service at Rennebohm Park. Come join the fun. Details below.
As for the church building, we are making plans to reopen for in-person worship (with masks and limited numbers) sometime in the not-too-distant future. In the next week, you’ll get a survey which will help our Reopening Task Force make good decisions. Please fill out the survey promptly.
“Now the Green Blade Rises” has become one of my favorite Easter hymns. The tune (NOEL NOUVELET) is traditionally a Christmas song, but green imagery in this version makes it perfect for Easter. The fourth verse seems very appropriate for this challenging year, when we’ve all felt “wintry” and dealt with grief and pain.
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When our hearts are wintry,
grieving, or in pain,
your touch can call us
back to life again;
fields of our hearts
that dead and bare have been:
love is come again
like wheat arising green.
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Watch and listen to two different versions of the song:
May the sunshine, the flowers, and the birds be the “touch” you need to bring you new life!
I hope to see you at the park on Sunday, and I look forward to being together in the sanctuary when we can safely gather. Happy spring! Happy Easter!
On the journey apart but together,
Charlie
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Worship and Picnic!
THIS SUNDAY May 2, 11:00-2:00
Rennebohm Park
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You are invited to a time of faith, fellowship, fun, and food!
We'll have a short worship service with communion, music, and a mini sermon at 11:15.
Afterward, we're going to picnic and play (frisbee, soccer, etc.).
Please sign up so we can plan (but you’re welcome to come even if you don’t get a chance to sign up!). Learn more and sign up HERE.
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FINAL CALL for recipes!
Covenant is compiling a COVID Quarantine Cookbook.
Deadline for Recipe Submission: Sunday, May 2, 2021
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Show your Covenant pride! |
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We've got a new t-shirt with our updated logo.
Use this link to purchase your shirt(s) by Sunday, June 6. Payment is to be made when you receive your order.
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Capital Campaign Report
Owing to the generosity and support of Covenant members, we used Capital Campaign funds to give our church building much-needed upgrades and to support mission partners throughout our community.
Click on the image to see all that we were able to accomplish with your support!
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Drive-Thru Donuts + Heifer International Celebration
Sunday, May 16
10:30-11:30am
Covenant children and youth have been supporting Heifer International for 28 years! For this year's celebration, come out to the Covenant Heifer Farmyard (our parking lot) on May 16 to hear silly animal jokes; see adults and children dressed like cows, pigs, sheep, llamas, rabbits, and chicks; grab a donut and contribute! Donations welcome but not required for drive-thru attendance. Come out to celebrate this awesome organization!
Watch this family-friendly video to learn more about Heifer International, or visit their website. Donations of coins, cash, checks (made payable to Covenant) accepted. Donations can also be made online here.
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Youth Connection
Middle School Youth Connection will be serving at the Second Harvest Food Bank this Saturday from 12:15-3:30. Contact Youth Ministries Coordinator Steve Royalton right away if interested, as space is limited.
High School Youth Connection will be meeting at Covenant on Sunday evening from 6:30-7:45. Masks are required as we’ll likely be indoors the entire time based upon the weather forecast.
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Adult Education May 2: Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta, PC(USA) Mission Coworker in Indonesia
Farsijana teaches in the Master of Management in Social Entrepreneurship program at Duta Wacana Christian University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where she also works with the Center for Development and Social Transformation in the Faculty of Business.
She is the founder and director of the House of Authentic Sense (HAS), a community-based cooperative comprised of village entrepreneurs from throughout the province of Yogyakarta. As a grassroots organization that practices principles of economic justice, the HAS Co-op is a place where community members help each other build businesses and save money. It brings together Muslims, Christians and people of diverse economic and educational backgrounds to collaborate in grassroots poverty elimination and advocacy for a just and peaceful society. Through the co-op, community members learn skills and build businesses around food processing, batik making, goat milk processing, organic tea cultivation and more.
This class will meet at 10:00 am via Zoom.
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Congratulations Confirmands! |
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On Sunday, April 25, we welcomed into membership high school confirmands Michael Fussell, CC Girard, Caroline Potter, Sam Qastin, Maeve Sebastian, Scarlett Smith, and Claire Von Bergen. The program included material from the PCUSA and other sources and was led by Youth Ministries Coordinator Steve Royalton and Pastor Jeff Fox-Kline.
The service was recorded and will be included in our May 2 online worship video.
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Virtual Worship for Sunday, May 2
- 5th Sunday of Easter
- Jeff Fox-Kline preaching on Acts 2:42-47, "New Life Together"
- Children's Time with the Mace Family
- Confirmation Service
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Follow our blog to read Pastor Jeff's weekly reflections.
We will premiere the worship service on Facebook at 9:00 am on Sunday.
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Grounds Clean-Up Day May 22
May 22nd is Grounds Clean-Up Day at Covenant! Please bring your gardening and pruning equipment and help us to make the grounds look beautiful again, from 9:00am-12:00pm. Donuts and water provided.
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