Pastor Letter 
Rev. Rob Mark, Pastor
Reverend Rob is on his annual Summer Sabbath, July 17-August 14. His Pastor Letter will return in the September issue.
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Farewell and Celebration on August 16 
August 16 will be Rev. Adam Isbitsky's final Sunday with us as his year as Interim Pastor comes to a close. There will be a liturgy of release and farewell during worship, with special remembrances and celebrations of Adam's time with us. Be sure to tune in!
Adam's next ministerial call will be to the Ballard Vale United Church in Andover, Massachusetts, as their pastor for a designated term of three years beginning on September 1.
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St. Basil's Prayer from the 300s
Climate Jubilee Committee
Before departing for Summer Sabbath, Rev. Rob shared this moving prayer with the Climate Jubilee Committee that we wish to share with you all. It is remarkable as it was true in the 300s as it is today.
From Rob:
As I prepare to "sign off" for Summer Sabbath for a few weeks, I leave you with this topical prayer for us all from way back in our Christian tradition:
St. Basil the Great (330-379)
"
O God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things, our siblings
the animals to whom you gave
the earth as their home in common with us.
"We remember with shame that in the past we have exercised the high dominion of man with ruthless cruelty, so that the voice of the earth, which should have gone up to you in song, has been a groan of travail.
"May we realize that they live not
for us alone, but for
themselves and for
you
and that they love the sweetness of life even as we, and serve
you better
in their place than we in ours.
"
In peace, celebrating our deep roots,
Rob
We share this article from the New York Times that touches upon issues impacted by our daily choices--the animals, the working poor, racial injustice, the environment and climate change. Here is a PDF of the article. (If interested, look more into the topic here.)
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Covenant Members Featured 
in GBIO Meetings with State Reps
By Faith Perry
The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) has organized a series of meetings with state representatives from various districts including Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, Jamaica Plain and Roslindale, attended virtually by quite a few members of Covenant.
We have been pressing our reps to actually pass bills for police reform and health care reform.
On July 21, in the meeting with Rep. Malia and Rep. Elugardo, Covenant members Brad Day and Anne Crane played an important role, telling compelling personal stories related to the topic.
Each of these bills is making progress in steps through the legislative process. We hope to have more news about bills becoming law next month.
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News from the Remote Pews 
Compiled by Linda Pursley
Celebrating Authors
Karen Henry
reports that her poetry chapbook, All Will Fall Away, has been accepted for publication by Finishing Line Press. The book will be available in late November. People can pre-order it beginning in August. She can send ordering details to any who are interested -- just let her know. Here is an excerpt from one of the poems, "Frost Fire":
It's the season of waiting
the season of silence.
Clouds cast us into a grey solitude
most days.
But when the rare sun
lights up the trees
and each bright berry
is a circle of fire
signaling plenty to the birds,
we rejoice.
Nancy Ammerman shared this on Covenant's Facebook, and we re-post her news here: "
Breathing a sigh of relief--jumping up and down in excitement-- anxiously anticipating feedback--all of the above. The full manuscript for Studying Lived Religion just went off to Jennifer Hammer at NYU Press. There will be a final round of revisions (hopefully minor) after they get a look at it, but for now it is OFF MY DESK!"
Cause for Rejoicing
Deacons Moderator Anita Gram submits this account of a story many of us heard on the news, not knowing that it involved one of our beloved members:
Our own Stanley Dingwell was in the news after walking away from a serious car accident on the Sagamore Bridge to Cape Cod about noon on Wednesday, July 22. His car was crushed by a tractor trailer, but Stan was able to be pulled out through the passenger window.
Here are the details from NBC10 Boston, headline: Truck Mangles Car on Sagamore Bridge; Driver, 86, Escapes With Minor Injuries
A crash involving a car and truck Wednesday afternoon on the Sagamore Bridge in Bourne, Massachusetts, left the car partially crushed, but the 86-year-old driver walked away with minor bruises.
Troopers responded to the crash on Route 6 eastbound at 11:38 a.m. where they said a Mercury Marquis was wedged beneath a Mack truck that belongs to a landscaping company from Taunton.
The driver of the car, 86-year-old Stanley Dingwell, spoke with NBC10 Boston hours after the crash at his Quincy home.
"He just changed lanes and squashed me," Dingwell said of the truck. "You hear the noise, and the metal's flying and everything, and oh my God."
The truck driver, a 53-year-old man from Taunton, was not hurt, police said.
The NBC10 Boston interview with Stan at his home describing what he went through can be viewed here. His niece is also on camera briefly. And there are pictures--you have to see the pictures!!
Thanks to Mary Robinson, our local news maven, for bringing this to our attention! Here's Mary's quote:
He walked away?
I call that a miracle.
The Deacons will continue to pray for Stan and for all of you for safety in your summer.
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Under the Mango Tree 
By Karen Henry for Nica Companions
Note: This column will be a monthly sharing of stories from our sister church community, Dulce Nombre de Jesus, in northwest Nicaragua.
We have sad news from Dulce Nombre, and happy news. The community in Dulce Nombre lost one of their elders, Don Humberto, husband of our beloved Esperanza (see him here in the photo with Mocky Day). The  community of Catorce in Managua, a strong supporter of Dulce Nombre, lost the head of its foundational family, Don Rafael Valdez, who died from the Corona virus on July 19. (Don Raphael is the man in a white shirt on the right in the photo below of the Catorce community.) Delegations from Covenant to Nicaragua almost always visit the Catorce community in Managua as part of the trip. As Mocky says, "the Catorce church and school hold some of our earliest memories of hospitality, shared, spirituality, and learning to walk together hand in hand." Don Rafael led this community, and he is mourned by all there, including his son, Eduardo, who is part of Entre Culturas, the organization that helps to facilitate our relationship with Dulce Nombre. Eduardo and his mother, Carmen, also suffered from Covid-19, but both have recovered. We will continue to pray for Dulce Nombre and for Catorce as they mourn the loss of these dear men.
The happy news from Dulce Nombre is that the rains fell, and the first harvest promises to be a good one. As you can see in the photo above, the corn is growing tall (and the children are having summer fun!)
In our last community letter to Dulce Nombre, we told them about the Presbyterian 21-day Racial Justice Challenge that some of us at Covenant have taken up. The people of Dulce Nombre ask questions about how people of color are treated in the United States. We thought they would appreciate hearing about this challenge. As we explained:
Each day those of us who are taking part in the challenge are sent an email with directions to read essays about white privilege and the oppression of Black and Brown people and communities and to reflect on passages from the Bible that reveal the way God wants us to live together as a Beloved Community. One of the discussion questions was "What is the closest experience of the Beloved Community you have had?" I immediately thought of our times together in Dulce Nombre and in Boston where we shared our vision of the Beloved Community walking toward the reign of God together. We are grateful that we share this vision with you.
On August 30, we are hoping to have the opportunity to hear directly (via technology) from a few members of the village during our worship service. On recent delegations, we have had many discussions during retreats about how we can protect mother earth. Both communities have made resolutions about how each community can work harder to take care of the environment -- composting, using organic farm methods, eating less meat and dairy, driving less, picking up trash, and growing more trees, among other actions. During one discussion session, we asked each community to reflect on what the communities were like 20 years ago, and 50 years ago. The answers suggested changes that were harmful, not good. As part of our Climate Jubilee plan, we hope to continue these discussions and commit to working harder together for environmental justice.
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Council Report
Council did not meet in July, so there is no Council Report this issue. A report on their August meeting will appear in the September issue.
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August Birthdays
2
Melissa Morgan
6
Nancy Hollomon
11
Mark Huston
21
Mary Goward Robinson
26
Harry Forsdick
31
Walter Moczynski
Note: If your August birthday does not appear on this list, please notify Hillary in the church office so we can include you next year!
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August 2020
Calendar 
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About This Issue
August 2020 Covenant News
Editor and Graphics: Evelyn Kimber
Template: Harry Forsdick
Deadline for the September 2020 Covenant News is Tuesday, August 25. Please email your submissions to Evelyn Kimber at
[email protected]
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