Covenant Connections: Don't Give Up

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.... Galatians 5:9-10

Greetings! Last Sunday, as guest preacher/teacher Rev. Deanna Hollas was finishing her class about gun violence, she was encouraging us to persevere as peacemakers, as Christians. She shared the quote below from author Anne Lamott at the same time that I was thinking about the above quote from Galatians.

“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.” --Anne Lamott

So as we continue to ponder and wrestle with the issues that divide us, we need to do our best to persevere and be hopeful and not give up. Deanna's words and witness have given hope to many at Covenant. To read the PCUSA resource "Gun Violence and Gospel Values" along with other Presbyterian Peace Fellowship info and stats on guns, click here: Presbyterian Peace Fellowship To learn about how faith communities can help address gun violence, click on the "Standing Our Holy Ground" image below to connect with a series of webinars. To read or listen to Deanna's sermon, along with other Covenant sermons, click here: Covenant sermons To see photos from Deanna's visit to Covenant and Pres House, click here: Deanna visit photos

This coming Sunday, February 2, our focus is on immigration. Earlier in January, I visited the Community Immigration Law Center, based at Christ Presbyterian Church. I spent an hour with attorney Aissa Olivarez, who provides representation for people in need. She helped me appreciate the complexity of immigration issues, how every case is different. When an undocumented person has legal representation, they have a much greater chance at justice and fairness. To learn about the Center, click on the photo of Aissa.

As you'll hear in the sermon this Sunday, the Bible has a lot to say about caring for foreigners and strangers in our midst. Yes I know the Bible isn't a blueprint for a country's laws, but as Christians, the Bible shapes our moral perspectives. Along with Bible study and conversations about immigration, I've done some reading. To help appreciate the complexity of immigration and to put a human face on it, I recommend any of these three books.

Enrique's Journey is the Pulitzer Prize winning account of a 17 year-old Honduran boy's harrowing journey toward the US, in search of his mother, written by journalist Sonia Nazario. The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border is the memoir of Fulbright Fellow Francisco Cantu, who has Mexican-American roots and spent four years as a Border Patrol agent. American Dirt is the new and controversial novel by Jeanine Cummins. I started reading it the day before the controversy emerged. While there are legit questions about the book, I found it a compelling and heart-wrenching novel (not a text book!) about a mother and son fleeing violence in Mexico, which I hope (along with other books and experiences) will help to humanize the immigration issues. I've heard that some people are surprised that we are discussing things like abortion, racism, guns, LGBTQ people, and immigration in church. But I'm not surprised, since I know what kind of congregation we have--people with diverse opinions, a desire to learn, and a common foundation in God's love. Individually at times, we all feel overwhelmed by the divisiveness, the problems in the world, or our own lives and situations. But together, as a community, we don't give up, we don't give into despair. We aren't going to come up with magic solutions to these issues in a seven-week sermon series. But we need to persevere and encourage each other, doing what we can with humility and hope for the common good. On the journey together, Charlie

A Prayer for Hope and Perseverance Loving God, you are our refuge and our strength We call out to you...in the midst of divisive times. Give us courage to listen, learn, and maybe even change our way, as we seek the common good. Help us to love our neighbors--all of them. We call out to you...for the sake of those who suffer from hunger, violence, poverty, and injustice. Give them hope and inspire the rest of us to acts of compassion and seek long-term solutions. We call out to you...when we are suffering in body, mind, or spirit. Help us to know that we are never alone. Surround us with your love. In Jesus Christ, you came to be with us, to be with the world, to guide us in your ways. Open our eyes and lead us forward. Help us to encourage each other on the way. Loving God, you are our refuge and our strength. Amen.

Heifer International! Sun Feb 2 at 10:00 Bradfield Hall

Chicks! Sheep! Llamas! Cows! This Sunday at Covenant is our 27th annual Heifer Mini Market! Heifer International, a non-profit organization, works to end hunger and poverty. Heifer helps families in need by giving them an income-producing animal and teaches them how to become self-reliant by selling wool from a sheep or milk from a cow. Click on the photo to see pix from the 2019 Heifer Mini Market at Covenant. To learn more about Heifer, click here: Heifer International. Bring in some coins (and some dollars...) to share with the kids and to support a good cause.

On Sunday, Feb 2, please bring in some clementines so we can provide a healthy snack for the kids at Stephens Elementary on Monday!

Sunday Worship 9:00 New Day Contemporary 11:00 Traditional

Sunday , February 2 Holy Communion Sermon: IMMIGRATION Text: Matthew 25:34-40 Preaching: Charlie Berthoud New Day Band at 9:00 Celebration Choir at 9:00 & 11:00 Bell Choir at 11:00

Sunday, February 9 Sermon: LGBTQ+ Community Text: Mark 7:24-30 Preaching: Chelsea Cornelius Exodus Youth Band at 9:00 Chancel Choir at 11:00

www.covenantmadison.org

‌ ‌