Covenant CONNECTIONS:
Learning to live together
Greetings!
After the tragic shooting of Jacob Blake, the peaceful protests, the rioting and looting, and the killing of two protesters in Kenosha, the divisions in our society are even worse than a week ago.

One side invokes Martin Luther King's non-violent resistance to denounce the rioters. Others quote MLK, who said "A riot is the language of the unheard."

I'll add one more MLK quote.
We live in very divisive times. Over the past two weeks of political conventions, it seems we heard more about how "bad" the opposing candidate is, rather than hearing much about a constructive vision for the future.

We need to learn to live together, to listen to each other, to remember that most people don't hold the extreme opinions that we often hear and see, and to work toward the common good.
Last Saturday, I was downtown for the funeral procession of Anisa Scott, the 11 year-old girl killed in a senseless shooting a couple weeks ago. She loved monster trucks and motorcycles, so there were plenty of them. And there were doves released as a symbol of peace.

More importantly, there were hundreds of people together to mourn and to hope for a better world.
I was pleased to see a wide variety of Madison area leaders together: Pastor (and Judge) Everett Mitchell, Police Chief Victor Wahl, Michael Johnson of the Boys & Girls Club, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, and more. I am grateful for their efforts to work together on ridding our community of gun violence, looting, and systemic racism.

Click on the photo above to see a few more pix from Saturday. I included one from NBC15 which has me chatting with Police Chief Wahl. On that same day, I got a Facebook memory notification that five years ago, I had met then-Captain Wahl for coffee, after doing a ride-along with an officer. Madison is a small community, and I'm glad to know so many good people in leadership roles.

I continue to be thankful for the police, for the vast majority of officers who are decent people, for their willingness to risk their well-being for the common good, and for those officers and departments that are looking honestly into issues of excessive force and structural racism.

I continue to be grateful for peaceful protesters, and for activists, athletes, politicians, religious and community leaders who call out for justice, oppose senseless vandalism, remind us that Black lives matter, and bring people together for the common good.

And I continue to be grateful for God persistently calling us to love our neighbors, to serve the forgotten people like Jesus did, to repent from our sin and see things anew, and to seek first God's Kingdom here on earth.
We have a chance to learn more together this fall.

We start a new sermon series and round of small groups on Sept 13, based on the book Practicing: Changing Yourself to Change the World.

Author Kathy Escobar understands that change happens slowly and that change involves individuals and systems. Click on the cover image to learn more and get yourself a copy.

See below for small group info, and sign up soon! You'll get to connect with good people and grow together for six weeks.
In addition to the social and political divisions, we're facing hurricanes, wildfires, and a pandemic. We can't let ourselves fall into despair, bitterness, and cynicism. We don't want to "perish together as fools."

We are called to live and work together, as people of hope. We need to stay rooted and grounded in God's word and God's love.

On the journey, apart-but-together,
Charlie
PS--Next Sunday, September 6 is special for several reasons.
  • We celebrate communion, and we have people willing to deliver home-baked rolls and juice boxes. We signed up in our house! A great way to be connected. See info below.
  • It's Back-to-School Sunday, and we're praying for teachers and students. To help, we would love a photo from YOU. See below.
  • And it's another Drive-Thru Donuts and Devotions. See below.
Please share a school photo!
I biked around to local high schools this past week, and I prayed for teachers & staff, students & families. Click on photo to see the schools.

And please add a photo of your school, or your home learning space. Include yourself in the photo! We plan to use these in worship on Sept 6.
Donuts, Devotions, and More!
We're going to have dog treats this time as well, so bring your pooch! And you can drop off school supplies for Glenn Stephens Elementary. They need: dry erase markers, craft materials (construction paper, scissors, glue sticks, markers), pencil cases, pens, pencils, notebooks (spiral - one subject- wide ruled)
SUNDAY WORSHIP
Join us for apart-but-together video worship on Sunday, as we conclude our "little books" series, focusing on RUTH . Check your email Sunday morning for the link. Or check the Covenant website. Or visit our YouTube page
Worship this week features
  • Sermon by Jeff Fox-Kline on Ruth, "Never Going to Give You Up"
  • Baptism of Jay Schroeder
  • A message for the children from the Von Bergen family
  • Several familiar faces of Covenant people
  • Singing led by Melissa Hinz, Doug McNeel, Ben Welch, and members of the Covenant music ministry

WORSHIP by PHONE: If you know someone who does not have internet access but wants to join us for worship, please ask them to call (608) 237-1739, where anyone can listen to the most recent worship service.

DEVOTIONAL: Read and pray with biblical reflections written by Covenant members and staff: Ruth Devotional!
Coffee and Conversation
Sunday 10:30 via Zoom

Grab some coffee and connect with your Covenant friends! Pastor Jeff is leading a brief Bible study on Ruth and then we'll break out for some coffee hour conversation. Click on the Zoom link above at 10:30 this Sunday!
Small Groups!
In September and October
Participating in small groups helps us stay connected while growing in our faith together. We may meet people we’ve never met, and deepen our connection with people we already know!

Beginning the week of September 13th, Covenant will be offering weekly, hour-long small groups meeting primarily via Zoom for six weeks. We will study the book that inspired our upcoming sermon series: Kathy Escobar’s PRACTICING: Changing Yourself to Change the World. (See above.)

She unpacks overlooked, but deeply vital Christian practices: healing, listening, loving, including, equalizing, advocating, mourning, failing, resting, and celebrating. You do NOT have to read the book—each meeting will have quotations from the book to discuss, with all of the relevant context explained. Email jfoxkline@covenantmadison.org if you have any questions.

Follow this link to sign up for one of the groups to connect, grow, and share together! The groups meet at different times on different days, so find the one that works best for you!
Sharing the Bread and Cup
The Sacrament of Communion is central to our worship and brings us together as a community linked by the bread of life and the cup of salvation. During the pandemic, our spirits have been no less linked for our bodies not being present together. However, there are still ways for the ties that bind us to be strengthened. 

Food was central to Jesus’ ministry in his time with us, and is such an important part of Covenant's ministry together. 

Some Covenant bakers have offered to bake rolls for you for the sacrament of Communion. On Saturday, September 5, someone from Covenant will deliver an individually wrapped roll and a juice box of grape juice for you to use for Communion for the online worship service on September 6. Follow this link to Sign up to have your bread and cup delivered. EVEN IF YOU ALREADY HAVE BREAD AND JUICE IN YOUR HOUSE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU. The bread will not be enough to make a meal for you, but it is definitely enough to connect us to one another through the Spirit of Christ.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
via ZOOM
Sunday, September 13, at 10am
We have nine people who feel called by God through our Nominating Committee to serve as Elders and Deacons. We're having a congregational meeting to elect our new officers, through Zoom and by mail and phone.

Details are in the September Caravan newsletter. Zoom link coming soon.
VIRTUAL MISSION AUCTION
Get ready! Get set! The Guatemala Silent Auction is morphing into the Virtual Mission Auction with bidding open from October 18 until 25 to benefit Guatemala scholarship needs and the COVID-19 Relief Offering. Start thinking creatively about how you can help by donating items with a value of $20+. Questions? Contact Judy Von Bergen (judyvonbergen@gmail.com}, Chan Sommers (dcsommers@gmail.com), Carol Philipps (philipps.carol@gmail.com) or Deb Cohn (dlittlecohn@gmail.com).
YOUTH MISSION WORK!
Covenant youth helped feed hungry people this week, through the River Food Pantry and Second Harvest Food Bank. Click on pic to see more!