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Dear Covenant Friends,
Last Sunday evening, I had the joy of leading worship for Dinner Church, the weekly gathering of United Protestant Campus Ministries (UPCaM). Amanda Powell serves as the spiritual leader for this remarkable community of students—only some of whom are pictured above—but all of whom bring their full selves: questions, laughter, burdens, hope.
Dinner Church is always a gift. But this week it felt especially festive. The tables were beautifully adorned, and the meal was a joyful extension of our soul food brunch—fried chicken, greens, yams, cornbread—prepared and shared with generosity. The students relished every bite. There is something holy about watching young adults who are far from home savor a home-cooked meal.
During worship we reflected on the two feeding stories in Mark’s Gospel (Mark 6 and Mark 8). In both scenes, the disciples look out at a hungry crowd and see scarcity. They count loaves. They measure fish. They worry it will not be enough. And yet, when they place what little they have into Jesus’ hands, he blesses it, breaks it, and gives it back to them to distribute. And somehow—mysteriously, abundantly—everyone eats. And there are baskets left over.
My husband Tom came with me to play guitar and sing, and he baked sourdough bread for communion. Two members of Fairmount served dinner with kindness and joy. Elder Andrew Edwards (who is young!) helped serve the elements by intinction until all were fed. What I love about this picture is that it is the Body of Christ at work—different congregations, different generations, offering what we have. Music. Bread. Time. Presence. And it was enough.
We are barely a week into Lent, and I find myself praying that we are spiritually hungry. Lent is not about self-denial for its own sake. It is about making space to notice our deeper hunger—for mercy, for meaning, for communion with God and one another. God longs to feed and sustain us. But like the disciples, we are invited to bring what we have, however meager it seems.
And like Elijah collapsing in the wilderness, exhausted and ready to give up, we sometimes need angels among us—those who gently say, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” Sometimes the most faithful act is simply receiving the bread placed into our hands.
May this season help us recognize both our hunger and God’s abundance. May we offer what we have. And may we trust that in Christ’s hands, it will be more than enough.
I hope to see you in church Sunday; we will share communion.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jessie
pastor@covenantweb.org
February 25, 2026
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