This month, our sermon series has been focusing on the power of words in our life. Each week, we focus on something different like how they can guide us, how they can inform or misinform us, and how the very words we hope to find comfort in can sometimes hurt us. Ultimately, we’re hoping to be reminded of the power our words hold and how we should be mindful and deliberate with the words we use because they do hold so much power. | |
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As I thought about this week’s sermon and the importance of being inclusive not only in our words but in our deeds, I kept thinking back to the passage in Matthew 22 where we’re reminded of the second greatest commandment “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And normally this passage reminds me why we’re called to the work of being in community, of knitting hats for others, giving out food at The River, of doing those mission activities with and for others.
But this call to love others extends past our mission work into other areas where we are called to be in community and be inclusive of those different from us. This call to love our neighbors is a call to learn about one another’s differences not to prove someone wrong, but to better know someone as our sibling in Christ. This is a call to do the hard and good work of learning, unlearning, and re-learning as our world continues to shift and move in new and transformative ways.
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In worship on Sunday, you’ll hear a brief word from Betsy Erickson about the importance of learning someone’s pronouns, especially when they are different from what you’ve always known.
As we prepare for worship this Sunday, I hope you will not only pray about the Matthew 22 passage, but take a moment to read these resources:
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The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network
The first one is about the importance of pronouns and it comes from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network.
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Understanding Disabilities 101: The second one is “Understanding Disabilities 101” and it comes from the Southwest Center for Independent Living. | |
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Reading these is one step towards being loving and inclusive and others, and it’s an important step of learning something new and then putting that learning into action with others. | | |
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Thank You from the Moe's
Betsey & Eric Moe are our mission partners in Guatemala. Rev. Betsey Moe preached here recently, and she has been integral in our mission work in Santo Domingo and Coyolate!
Click HERE to watch their thank you message.
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Join tonight's class by clicking button below! | |
We are reading Exodus as a congregation in January and learning more about this ancient text and its contemporary relevance. Never done a Bible study before? No worries! Beginners are welcome! Sign up below to help us plan if you can. Come join us as we explore some major themes in Exodus. Please note: 10:30 studies are in-person, 6:30 studies are on Zoom only. | |
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In-Person and Livestream worship: 9:00AM & 11:00AM
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Baptism of the Lord Sunday | "Word Power" Sermon Series
- Ordination & Installation of Officers (11:00)
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Preaching: Megan Berry | "What if It's Just a Fad?" | Text: Galatians 3:26-29, Matthew 22:36-40
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Music: New Day Ensemble; Ben Welch, pianist (9:00) | Covenant Chancel Choir; Doug McNeel, organist (11:00)
- Children's Time with Marge Resan
- Nursery Care: 8:45am-12:15pm
- Bradfield Café: 10:00-10:45AM
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Visit our Worship HQ for everything you need to worship with us online!
| If you missed a service or would like to watch a service again, all livestreamed services are saved to our YouTube channel. Or you can give the sermons another listen on our sermon podcast! | |
Join us Sunday (January 21) at 10:00am as we continue our overview of the book of Exodus, led by Covenant member John Strikwerda. In January, Covenant is reading the book of Exodus. We will walk through Exodus discussing the storyline and how this epic journey fits into the larger biblical story. Along the way, we will uncover the many parallels to Genesis and reflect on how our current lives mirror the Exodus narrative. Note: this is a "redo" of last Sunday (since Adult Ed was canceled). | |
Children's & Youth Education | |
Pick up a hard copy of our devotional at Covenant or SUBSCRIBE to receive daily email devotions from this devotional as we delve into Exodus in January! | |
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New this week: Rick Gullickson, Covenant member
Loving God, in your mercy, hear our prayers for each of these your children. We pray for healing, for courage, and for peace, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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Greeter & Welcome Center Volunteer | | |
Our first Spiritual Stroll of 2024 will be held at Picnic Point! These strolls are part of CONNECT, a program of deacon-sponsored events with the intention of fostering connection between Covenant and the community. We visit a different green space every month to explore God’s creation. | |
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As part of Covenant's commitment to becoming a Matthew 25 congregation, the Adult Education Committee encourages members to participate in Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development’s Black History for a New Day course. The course is from February 26-May 6 via Zoom. Covenant will have their own discussion group led by Jennifer Morgan. With generous support from GMB and our longstanding relationship with Nehemiah, the cost will be a reduced $125 and $50 for alumni of the course. Scholarships are also available! There are only 15 spots left, so register now!
Take a moment to read a testimony on the course from Covenant member Lori Conley below.
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Sunday, February 4, 12:00pm | |
Join us in reading "A Sand County Almanac" in 2024. This is a non-fiction book by American ecologist, forester, and environmentalist Aldo Leopold written in 1949. Describing the land around the author's home in Sauk County, Wisconsin, the collection of essays advocate Leopold's idea of a "land ethic", or a responsible relationship existing between people and the land they inhabit. Edited and published by his son, Luna, a year after Leopold's death, the book is considered a landmark in the American conservation movement. Organized with an essay for each month of the year, the book group will meet on the first Sunday of every month to discuss the essay from the previous month, beginning with our first meeting on Sunday, February 4. Join us! | | | | |
