Covenant News January 2020

Covenant News

Presbyterian Church USA
United Church of Christ

January 2020

In This Issue

Pastor Letter

Appreciation

Covenant Book Group

Covenant at Serpentino Studio

News from the Pews

Delegation to Nicaragua

Under the Mango Tree

Council Report

January Birthdays

January Calendar

About This Issue

Quick Links

Church of the Covenant
COTC Events

Covenant in Gingerbread

"The sweetest place on Newbury Street."

- Mark Huston, gingerbread church architect,

with Nancy Stockford, general contractor

Pastor Letter

Rev. Rob Mark, Pastor

Dearest Church Family,

Happy and Blessed New Year! As we are enveloped by this new decade, and our thoughts go to the measuring of life, may we experience the timeless and all-encompassing love of God--Crafter of each minute, Sculptor of every age.

Peering into this coming decade with the invitation to view life through the lens of tens - can be both daunting and liberating. At first glance, we encounter the unknown. The yet unscripted events that will unfold as we enter a national election year, as we face a planet increasingly feeling the weight of a burdened climate with too many injustices, and as we encounter the wild ups and downs defined by the human condition. But to aid our glimpsing into the unwritten future, our faith reminds us to remember the grounding grace that has carried us this far on the way.

In remembering, we find the familiar refrains and scriptured-stories of people and creatures who were carried time and time again by the steadfast love of the Lord that never ceases through the veiled future of challenges ahead. We also remember what has unfolded before; even in the face of wild injustices, even in the face of the limitations that come with aging and the inevitability of death - comes the promise of new births, new unfoldings of buds, new ideas, new expressions of solidarity, and new embodiments of peace and love. These tangible signs of grace and God that are indeed new every morning!

And dear church, here in our family of faith, as we face the challenges and joy ahead, I am deeply excited and buoyed by our unfolding vision for a new 5-point Missional Plan that will direct us into the first half of this new decade. I feel great hope and new energy around what we might create together to live into our focus on Congregational Vitality, a Culture of Compassion and Caring, Creative Income Generation, Christian Formation for Children & Youth (and all ages!), and Climate Jubilee. I feel our collective investment in these areas as a congregation will lead us and others into the ways of liberation our faithful God desires for all of creation - and for you and me.

Together, may we trust in the faith that brought us to this point, and in the 2020 vision and grace of now and all that lies ahead.

In the peace of Christ,

Rob

Appreciation

By Adam Isbitsky, Associate Pastor

Dear COTCers,

Thank you very much for your ordination gifts of The Inclusive Bible and Praying with the Earth. They are just right and represent the inclusive, connected nature of what COTC is all about. This time of shared ministry together continues to be a blessed season for me.

In gratitude,

Rev. Adam

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Covenant Book Group

By Barbara Darling

The next meeting of Covenant's book discussion group will be held on Sunday, January 12, at 5 pm at Faith and Lucy's in Roslindale. The book we agreed on is Brian McLaren's The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World's Largest Religion Is Seeking a Better Way to Be Christian.

As always, you are welcome whether or not you have ever attended one of the Covenant book discussions, and whether or not you have read the book. We begin with a potluck at 5 p.m. For more information contact [email protected]

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Covenant Visit to Serpentino Studio

By Betsy Groves, for the Building Committee

Upon invitation from Roberto Rosa, head craftsman at Serpentino Stained Glass Studio in Needham, a group of 14 members and friends of Covenant visited our beloved "Angel and Cornelius" window on December 21. Both the angel and Cornelius are now in pieces, resting comfortably and well cared for, as shown in the forefront of the photo below.

Roberto prepared for this visit by laying out sections of the window on large tables, so that we could stand around the table as he demonstrated what they were doing to repair and clean the windows. He gave a fascinating and harrowing account of how the window was removed. It had deteriorated to the point that Roberto worried it would collapse before they could stabilize it. He also explained and demonstrated how they are cleaning and restoring each piece of glass and replacing much of the leading that holds the window together.

He provided a dramatic example of the impact of accumulated dirt on the windows, by cleaning a portion of one small part of the window and holding it up to the light so that we could see the "before" and "after." The dirt, accumulated over the past 127 years, is a composite of candle smoke from the inside, and car exhaust and air pollution from the outside. He also shared his extensive knowledge of the history and techniques of Tiffany stained glass and installation techniques.

By the end of our two-hour stay, we felt as though we had just completed a crash course in Tiffany glass. We were in awe of Roberto and his fellow craftsmen's deep fund of knowledge about Tiffany windows and their skills in conserving and preserving the windows. We now understand why our window will be in their studio for a year, and why it is so costly ($135,000) to preserve this window. The Building Committee has begun a campaign to preserve our windows, prioritizing the windows that are in critical condition and we welcome donations.

We came away from this visit with a new understanding and respect for the complexity of preservation, and the skills of these artisans. As we work to preserve our priceless windows, we are very fortunate to have access to such resources.

PS: Roberto has invited us to come back in the spring, to see the progress of the restoration. No date or time yet, but if anyone is interested, please let Betsy Groves know at [email protected].

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News from the Pews

Compiled by Linda Pursley

Editor's Note: As we begin a new decade, January 2020 marks 11 years since Covenant News began using an electronic format. This brings a trip down memory lane to previous years in paper format. From April 2003 to December 2008 we enjoyed the beautiful banner/header and footer design of former Covenant member Greg Makowski, who was such a pleasure to work with. Below is the inaugural issue and article with Greg's comment on his design.

On the move...

Charlene and Ed James report that after a long, eight-month process selling the house they have lived for 26 years, they have taken a winter rental in Rockport, MA. They hope that by late spring they will be in a more permanent setting closer to Boston. Meanwhile, they are having a great time exploring beautiful Cape Ann!

Wendy Woodfield spent Thanksgiving with her grandchildren in Princeton, enjoying the Nutcracker performance of Johnny (10) and the poise of Sara (17.) On the opposite shore, a photo album from the West Coast Woodfields suggests that Avery is enjoying life.

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Delegation to Nicaragua - What is it like? Mural

By Mocky Day, for Nica Companions

Delegation to Nicaragua - what is it like?

It's exciting, eye-opening, enjoyable and transforming.

Church of the Covenant, in its 23 year relationship with Church of the Poor in Dulce Nombre de Jesús, Nicaragua, has sent people from Covenant there nearly every year. We have an orientation in Boston before going. Knowing Spanish is not necessary as there are translators accompanying us. The trips generally last a week to 12 days, depending on the wishes of the travelers.

The first few days are spent in a small hotel in the city of Managua, where we are welcomed by Between Cultures staff who facilitate and guide our relationship. We share a scripture reading and are given a schedule for the visit. After an historical tour of the city, we hear an update on the current socio-political reality of Nicaragua. We visit nongovernmental organizations, union organizers, social justice workers.

On our three-hour van ride to the village we are treated to spectacular scenery, passing several volcanoes, sugar cane fields, pistachio orchards, farms and town marketplaces. Arriving in Dulce Nombre we are greeted warmly by our sisters and brothers at the little church, always with music and song. We stay in people's homes for about four days, where we live their reality--sharing meals and family life, and then gather daily at the church for guided dialogues, visits to elders, to fields, the school, a new bridge over the river in the community. We worship and pray together, sharing joys and sorrows. The bond between our communities is strong. Sometimes a retreat is planned in a nearby location, or a trip to the mountains or the beach. There is always a celebrative farewell with hugs and laughs and joyful appreciation, knowing we will continue our connection, we've strengthened our ties.

July 2019 visit to Nicaragua

Our concluding time is spent back in Managua, where we reflect on our stay, returning to the scripture we shared that first day. We feel very well cared for physically, emotionally, and spiritually by Between Cultures and our brothers and sisters in Dulce Nombre de Jesús.

We return to Boston feeling awed and energized, with a deepened sense of relationship both across cultures and amongst us travelers who have shared this profound experience.

All are welcome.

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Under the Mango Tree

By Tim Groves

Note: This column will be a monthly sharing of stories from our sister church community, Dulce Nombre de Jesus, in northwest Nicaragua.

Immediately following Covenant's November Potluck, delegates from Covenant's July visit to Nicaragua were able to "report back" to the congregation. Mocky Day, Debbie Howland and Faith Perry shared photos and stories of the experience. (I was lucky to also be on this delegation and helped plan the report back but was out of town that Sunday.) Many members and friends of Covenant attended at this Adult C.E., well timed in tandem with our monthly potluck.

This delegation was Covenant's first since our beloved sister Esperanza of Dulce Nombre passed away. In addition, our first day in the village was the day we learned that our beloved sister Elsa had passed away in New Hampshire. We were able to bring back the support and love from Dulce Nombre honoring Elsa, and we were able to take down Covenant's love and appreciation for Esperanza, who had visited Covenant on several delegations.

One special place we visited for the first time in Dulce Nombre was the cemetery where Esperanza and several others recently deceased are buried. Mildren and Ruber showed us Esperanza's grave and the graves of Doña Jesús, mother of Sayda and sisters, and of a young boy who had drowned in the river while playing with other village children this past Christmas. Nicaraguans have a practice of celebrating all who have died as presenté. The spirits of these who have passed remain present in community. In showing us this center of community, Mildren and Ruber told us about the burial of Esperanza as soon as family members could gather from outside the community, the temporary shelter constructed next to the grave for those in attendance for her burial, and the Celebration of the Word at the 9-day interval after she died. Mildren also told us of her role when the little boy drowned; she remembers washing his body to prepare it for burial as a comfort to his grieving family.

Ruber and Mildren also asked us about Elsa and also about Newell, a beloved member of Covenant as dear to Nombre de Jesus as he is to us. They asked about Newell's death, who was with him when he died, what happened with his body, and in general we discussed how practices and traditions that accompany death are carried out in each community. Below is a photo of the grave of Esperanza, high above the center of the village, beyond the baseball field.

One of the ways we at Covenant raise funds to support delegations both to and from Nicaragua is through periodic food sales. Recently 10 Covenant members prepared fruits of the Fall Harvest to sell to Covenant members and friends. 18 of you purchased these breads, pies, cookies, and sauces and together we raised over $350 for the Delegation Fund. Thank you all. Watch for our annual Soup Sale with order forms at the February Annual Meeting.

Finally, Covenant and Dulce Nombre agreed that we would try to have more long-distance communication with each other. The Zoom call at Covenant's October Retreat was a perfect example. We have received videos of Entre Culturas's recent visit to the village, and we are sending through Entre Culturas a video of Covenant's recent "Pop-Up Christmas Pageant." The Community in Dulce Nombre will get to see a number of us, young and old, as sheep, angels, wise ones, shepherds and the baby Jesus.

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Council Report

By Trudi Veldman

December 2019 Meeting

Council continued its discussion of the Mission Focus and plans to link all five points in the Missional Plan with Council Meeting agendas in order to maintain a proper balance of focus.

The Climate Jubilee Team suggested members and scope was discussed. The membership ideally includes a member from Council, Deacons, C&J, Next Steps Team and Race & Identity.
Follow up on creative income generation and potential partnerships included discussions with Building Committee, architect Lynne Spencer and representatives from Common Cathedral and the Weston UCC church.

Council took care of the following business:

Approved that Church of the Covenant commits itself to being a "Matthew 25 Church." In doing that, the church commits to working on at least one of the three emphases of the Presbyterian Mission Agency: building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and ending systemic poverty.
Approved $42,000 housing allowance as part of Terms of Call for Rev. Rob Mark in 2020.
Transferred John Helveston and Liz Phung's membership to Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park, MD.
Approved that the Christmas Eve offering will benefit the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project. It is the only organization in Arizona that provides free legal and social to men, women, and children who have been detained and are in danger of being deported.
Approved sending a fundraising request from Villages in Partnership to the congregation.