Presbyterian Church USA
United Church of Christ
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Pastor Letter
By Rev. Rob Mark, Lead Pastor
I’ve long wondered what the earth sounded like long before our hominid ancestors.
I’ve pondered why did God create it all in the first place.
Even though I have a degree in Geology, I’ve also wondered about what absolute center of the earth’s core is really like. And what granite thinks about lichen.
As a kid I wondered if heaven would have unlimited Rollo candies access.
As an adult I’ve wondered if the saints still feel sorrow or is it all joy.
I’ve wondered if my ancestors ever imagined me.
And why our beloved dog-cat-bunnies seem to love us so unconditionally.
What have you wondered about? What are you curious about?
When Jesus journeyed the 40 days in the wilderness, and the 3 plus years in ministry, and the 30-ish before that, I wonder what he wondered. What was he curious about? What is he still curious about? You? Me? Us?
Friends, let’s get curious together this Lent! As we journey the footsteps of Jesus, let’s make time to curate questions, to pick up our magnifying glasses together and have some fun investigating and exploring. While we may not intuitively associate the season of Lent with exploration and wonder – the more I ponder this, the more I realize that an orientation toward curiosity may very well be one of the most powerful spiritual stances one could take. Let’s explore together. And see what God may have in store for us as individuals and as a community. This should be fun, spiritual journeying!
Deep peace of the curious earth to you,
Rob
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COTC's Open Sanctuary Season
By Betsy Groves, for Building Committee
Covenant's Open Sanctuary season runs from May 1 to October 31. For those who may not be familiar with this program, our non-profit support organization, Covenant Boston Preservation Project*, has supported this endeavor to enable people from all around the world to visit our sanctuary and learn about our stained-glass windows and rich architecture. In 2022, we were open for three seasons and received 10,888 visitors. In addition to opening our sanctuary, income after expenses from Open Sanctuary donations helps supplement Covenant’s building maintenance.
The sanctuary is open on Fridays and Mondays, and on weekends. It is staffed by the coordinator, Simone DeVito, and volunteer and paid guides who provide written information and brief lectures to the visitors. Our written information is provided on brochures that are printed in seven languages -- English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese.
Visitors are awed by the grandeur of the church interior. The windows are, of course, the main highlight. However, the chandelier, the chancel, the stenciled wall coverings, the organ, and many other elements are also greatly admired.
I have served as a docent for several years and have found it most enjoyable. I talk to visitors who come from Boston, Cambridge, Lexington, and other close-by towns. Many are surprised to learn about this treasure. I talk to visitors from across the US and many other countries. In fact, I even talk to a few visitors who live in the Back Bay and knew nothing about the interior of our church!
Simone DeVito, Open Sanctuary Coordinator, gave a class on being a volunteer for Open Sanctuary on February 26. Contact Simone if you have an interest in volunteering with this project.
*Covenant Boston Preservation Project (CBPP) is an independent non-profit launched by the church in 2013. It was founded to receive income or donations by individuals or non-profits who cannot or do not donate to religious organizations. The income from CBPP goes to the church to use for building expenses and maintenance.
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GBIO Housing Justice Teach-In – March 19
By Faith Perry
The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization ( GBIO) is committed to a Housing Justice Campaign over the next two years.
YOU are invited to learn about GBIO’s plans and strategy and how you can participate after the service on Sunday, March 19. Your Covenant GBIO team is offering a Housing Justice Teach-In. This will be a hybrid event, so you may attend in person, or on Zoom.
Two years ago, during our listening campaign across GBIO’s membership, we heard that housing is one of the most difficult issues for all of our people to deal with. In the past year, we have won $50 million for repairs at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain. And we have won over $100 million for affordable housing and homeownership in Boston.
Going forward we have multiple strategies and different ways in which you can help increase the overall housing supply in Massachusetts and increase the funding for affordable housing in our cities and towns.
We want to ensure that public housing is safe and decent. We also want to increase access to housing for returning citizens and for those with mental health or substance use disorders.
Please plan to attend the GBIO Housing Justice Teach-In after the service on March 19.
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Climate Jubilee Team Update
By Barbara Darling
The Climate Jubilee Team has several exciting events planned for March!
On March 12, during Sunday morning worship, the Church of the Covenant will receive recognition from the Southern New England UCC conference (SNEUCC) for achieving Level 2 Green Congregation status. Rev. Emma Brewer-Wallin, Minister for Environmental and Economic Justice of the SNEUCC, will present our certificate and preach; following worship she will be present at an Adult Ed session where we will talk about next steps in our congregation’s commitment to Climate Jubilee and eco-justice.
March 20 is the Spring Equinox, and we continue our outdoor worship services celebrating the equinoxes and solstices. Hope you’ll join us at 6:30 p.m. at the Arthur Fiedler Dock on the Quinobequin (settler-named Charles) River. If you need directions to the Arthur Fiedler Dock, contact Betty Southwick at 617-780-4731. Please sign up here so we know to expect you and can communicate in advance if needed.
On March 21, which is 3-21-2023, the Third Act Mass. Working Group and 350MA are co-hosting an action, from 12 noon to 2 p.m., of “standing up to the big banks” that finance fossil fuel projects. We hope a bunch of Covenanters will participate! The event begins at 12 noon, meeting at Chase Bank at Downtown Crossing, and people will march to Bank of America at 100 Federal Street, cutting up credit cards, holding banners, and delivering letters urging the banks to stop funding destruction of the planet. Details and signup form here.
Ask Climate Jubilee co-chairs Betty Southwick and Barbara Darling if you have questions about any of these happenings!
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News from the Pews
Compiled by Linda Pursley
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Rev. Rick Spaulding, former co-pastor at Covenant in the late 1980's and 1990s, is currently serving as interim senior pastor at Old South Church.
Carol Dittes, a member of Covenant in the 1990s, who was in-care and then ordained at Covenant in February, 1991, has now moved to Granby, CT.
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Under the Mango Tree
By Tim Groves for Nicaragua Companions
This column will be a monthly sharing of stories from our sister church community, Dulce Nombre de Jesus, in northwest Nicaragua.
This month's column comes with the excitement of the five delegates who have just returned from our Delegation to Dulce Nombre from February 4-11. Delegates Kathy Bull, Diane Lauber, Mocky Day and I along with Rev. Tom Reid from Newton Presbyterian Church. Both congregations are returning with the "light" we have gathered from the candles from our sanctuary we took with us to the village. Rev. Tom has returned his candle to First Pres's sanctuary, and at Covenant we returned our candle on Sunday, February 26.
We have much to share with our Congregation about our experiences and some of what we learned on the delegation. Those in the village were excited to hear in person about so many of us at Covenant whom they know and care about. We hope to have an initial sharing after worship on Palm Sunday, April 2, if that works with our church's schedule.
We can share in this column the Community Letter written by Ruber for us to bring back with us to Covenant. Its text follows:
Letter from the Community of Dulce Nombre de Jesus 10 feb 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Church of the Covenant,
Greetings to All, may the God of life bring you many blessings. For us, the visits with your delegates to our community were a great success, especially after such a long time without seeing, touching or sharing hugs with one another. This is a blessing from God. I feel that the visit strengthens us and gives us confidence in the future of our relationship (Hermanamiento).
We touched on the theme of emigration, where a number of members of our community have left for the United States. We have noticed that for many of them their journey has put them in difficult situations in the US.
In our Celebration of the Word on Thursday, Pastor Tom shared the bread and the wine with all who were present. It was very beautiful, because for us it is difficult to receive the sacraments since we do not have a priest coming to our church. This felt very good.
Thanks be to God we are all well. The harvest was very good.
Now we have the harvest in our houses; now is a time to rest since we do not have work on the land until the rains come.
Well, Brothers and Sisters, greetings to everyone,
With love,
Ruber
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Council Report
By Trudi Veldman for Council
February 2023 Meeting
Council joyfully met with Caitlin Vest, Austin Burns, and their son Julian and approved their request for Julian's baptism on March 12, 2023. Council welcomed new council member Barbara Darling, and thanked Sharon Wright for her service.
Council convened a Task Force with the charge to review and make recommendations regarding COTC's longer-term financial status. Members from Council: Trudi Veldman, Betty Southwick, and Ron Lacey with others (TBD) from Generosity Generators, Memorials, and Renew the Light.
Council designated council members to the Personnel Committee and the Nominating Committee for 2023 and identified liaisons to the many church committees that make up our active ministry.
Council took the following votes:
- Approved the COTC 2022 Statistical Report for the PCUSA
- Elected the slate of officers for 2023 with Liz Vizza - President, Faith Perry - Treasurer; Brad Day - Assistant Treasurer; Nancy Stockford - Financial Secretary; Trudi Veldman - Clerk of Council; Kathryn Barry - Assistant Clerk
- Elected as member of the Personnel Committee - Holly Humphreys to a three-year term in the class of 2025 and Ed James to a two-year term in the class of 2024
- Approved serving communion on the first and third Sunday of the month and on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Easter, Pentecost and Blue Christmas.
- Approved the collection of the four special offerings of our two denominations during 2023
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March Birthdays
6 Anne Covert
7 Julian Kieran Vest-Burns
8 Tom Handel, Thiago Santos
16 Sarah Perreault
22 Christine Gratto
23 Rowen Mark
25 Joan Hill
30 Nathan Pursley
If your March birthday does not appear above, please hit Reply and notify us so we can include you next year!
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March 2023 Calendar
most up-to-date church calendar.
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About This Issue
March 2023 Covenant News
Editor and Graphics: Evelyn Kimber
Deadline for the April 2023 Covenant News is Friday, March 24. Please email your submissions to Evelyn Kimber at [email protected].
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67 Newbury St.
Boston, MA 02116
617-266-7480
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