Gathering This Sunday, June 16
Trinity Sunday
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Grace Saves and Sustains
Jeri-Lynne Bouterse preaching
One of my favorite quotes of Swedish theologian Karl Barth is, “Grace creates liberated laughter. The grace of God...is beautiful, and it radiates joy and awakens humor.” Grace is beautiful and when we experience God’s grace, our salvation, then joy follows. I think the way Barth speaks of grace and humor in the same breath has something to do with the absurdity that we cannot do anything to fall out of God’s saving grace. This seems impossible!
Humanity does not deserve God’s grace! There is nothing, absolutely nothing we can do to deserve God’s grace. No matter how hard we might try not to sin, we will sin. And God knows us inside and out. We cannot hide even what is in the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds. In spite of this, God loves us, came to be with us in Jesus Christ, and remains with us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This Sunday is “Trinity Sunday." The Doctrine of the Trinity is complicated. John H. Leith, in his book
Christian Doctrine, states, “The doctrine is a Christian reflection on the way God revealed himself and the Christian community’s apprehension of this revelation.” p.49-50. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are ways of existing as God. Recognizing the recent criticism in using the word “Father” to describe God, Leith argues, “that in scripture Father has no sexual meaning when applied to God; that father does not mean domination or arbitrary power… and the word “father” comes out of ordinary experience and better than any other human word it conveys what Jesus understood God to be.” This being said, as Christians we must understand that the human definition of the word “father” needs to be adapted by the revelation of the meaning of Father in God’s action in Jesus Christ.
We receive God’s grace through the actions of our Triune God. God responds to our separation from God through our sin, reveals God’s self in Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection; saves us, and sustains us by grace through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is beautiful, joyful and yes, perhaps absurd to those who have not yet encountered the glorious grace of God.
See you Sunday,
Jeri-Lynne
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Vacation Bible School 2019
June 24 - 28, 9am - 12pm
Ages 3 years old - 5th Grade
Thur., June 27, 6pm - Family Dinner & Children Sing
Sun., June 30, 11am Service - Children Sing & Sundae Sunday
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Volunteers needed for VBS! Youth entering 6th grade and older and adults are needed to help teach, feed, entertain, craft, sing, dance and enjoy the VBS children. Special activities and lunch for youth volunteers Monday, Wednesday and Friday 12-2pm! Sign up to help at
http://tinyurl.com/covenantvolunteer.
• Join in the VBS Setup: Saturdays June 15 & 22, 9am-noon. Decorations need to be hung, planets created and classrooms set up. No artistic talent is needed, just a desire to help and have fun. Come when you are able, leave when you need to.
• We need your prayers.....and SNACKS! Please help us by providing snacks. DUE TO SEVERE ALLERGY CONCERNS, ALL SNACKS DONATED MUST BE COMPLETELY PEANUT AND TREE NUT FREE! Help keep everyone safe by donating nut-free snacks, or making a monetary donation for us to buy them. Safe snacks include goldfish, pretzels, Skinny Pop popcorn and some animal crackers. Please read the allergy note by the ingredients to double check.
P.S. Our volunteers LOVE Krispy Kreme donuts! Coupons and gift cards will gladly be accepted.
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Spiritual Cinema:
Hugo
Mon., June 17, 6:30pm, Lounge
Orphaned and alone except for an uncle, Hugo lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris. Accompanied by the goddaughter of an embittered toy merchant, Hugo embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of the automaton and find a place he can call home. Contact: Beth Askue or Susan Imel.
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NEW...PiYo Classes
Tue., June 18; July 2, 16, 23, 30; Aug. 6, 13, 20, 9:30am, Lounge
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Neighborhood Food Truck Fest
Thur., June 20, 5:30-7pm
Fun for the whole family with yummy foods: The Little Ice Cream Shoppe, Taquitos, Alphabetical (soup, salads, sandwiches). Playground for the kiddos! Fun! Bring friends.
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Together We Can!
It’s not too late to turn in your Stewardship pledge card.
Please bring it to church or mail/email to
Ingrid Smith at Covenant.
Never underestimate the importance of your generosity and faithfulness.
You make us who we are.
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Interested in Membership at Covenant?
To get started or find out more, contact
Rev. Katie Kinnison to set up a time to talk with her.
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Our Mission
Covenant Presbyterian Church is an open, accepting community awakening to God's life-giving love together.
Our Vision
Covenant Presbyterian Church glorifies God and builds relationships with Christ and each other through: worship that inspires, nurture that embraces, education that challenges,
fellowship that energizes, ministry that responds.
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