Dear friends:
Monday was what many in our nation call Pearl Harbor Day, a devastating day etched into a generation’s memory. On that day, over seven decades ago, we became enemies with Japan. We went to war, and lots of young men on both sides were wrapped in death in the flag of their nation. Pearl Harbor is attached to December 7.
December 8, among other things, is the date that John Lennon was shot in 1980. No doubt, many others with lesser names were shot on December 8 as well.
On December 9, 1992, some 1,800 Marines arrived in Somalia, a desperate and conflicted part of the world. Many pursued an elusive figure named Osama bin Laden.
On December 10, 2020, 3,067 people in the United States died from complications of coronavirus. Hospitalizations in the U.S. reached a record high of 107,248, according to the Covid Tracking Project.
On this day, December 11, 1936, Edward VIII shocked the world and deeply pained his family by announcing that he was abdicating the British throne to marry Wallis Simpson.
In other words, every single day through history has been marked by messiness and pain. None are exempt. The essential question for people of faith is not how to minimize/avoid/ignore the pain but how to live with joy and hope through it all. We’ll explore this challenge with vigor this weekend. You can prepare by reading this brief passage.
Let me invite you to carefully consider a few other items:
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We have prepared a safe Christmas Eve experience for friends and guests, but we have capacity limits and registration is required. Click here to sign up to come to campus, enjoy Christmas decorations, hear Christmas music, light a candle, offer a prayer in the Sanctuary, and receive a home worship packet for Christmas Eve. With a little planning, this can be a meaningful Christmas Eve service, and we hope you will do so.
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Covenant’s mission is vital and alive, and we’re tremendously grateful for your generosity. It’s also true that we are still in need of nearly $1 million in pledged support for next year’s budget. Would you equip us to continue our work by making a pledge now? We would be deeply grateful.
- Remember our leadership in your prayers. We rotate a class of elders, end one fiscal year, begin another, operate schools, conduct funerals, worship services, classes, and important outreach projects all while framing our work in safe practices and careful decision-making. I’m honored to work with an outstanding staff and Session, and we will benefit from solid grounding in faith and prayer.
With abundant gratitude,
