NEW & NOTABLE THIS WEEK AT COVENANT

ZOOM-ONLY REFLECTION ON THE WORD SERVICE:

This Sunday, August 28, our Reflection on the Word service will be on Zoom only. We will not have an in-person gathering at 67 Newbury. Following worship, stay on Zoom for community fellowship in Breakout Rooms.

OPEN NEWBURY STREET CONTINUES: Newbury Street between Berkeley St. and Mass. Ave. will be closed to vehicles, and open to pedestrian traffic, on Sundays from August 21-September 25. Find out more here. Increased traffic throughout the region is also expected due to the Orange Line shutdown. Please keep this in mind when planning travel to and from COTC.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING: A congregational meeting has been called on Sunday, September 4 immediately after the worship service for the purpose of extending the term of the half-time designated Associate Pastor by 2 years starting on September 15, 2022 and to approve the terms of call of Rev. Joshua Lazard.

ORDINATION SAVE THE DATE: Please save the date of Sunday September 4 at 1:30pm in our sanctuary (and online) as we celebrate the ordination of So Jung Kim to the PC(USA) Ministry of Word and Sacrament.

TOM HANDEL'S STUDY LEAVE

Our Minister of Music, Tom Handel, will be on Study Leave this fall, from September through November. This Sunday, August 28, is Tom's last Sunday before his Study Leave, and we will include a liturgy of Blessing & Commissioning his sabbatical in Sunday's worship. Here's a note Tom has shared with us to learn about his Study Leave plans.

Dear Friends,

I’m excited to embark on a study leave for the months of September, October and November with the goal of improving my technique through the study of organ works by J. S. Bach.

You may have noticed that, for the past few years my focus on organ music has shifted from traditional repertory to transcriptions. The latter includes transcriptions of orchestral music by Dvorak and Handel, ballet music by Stravinsky and Copland, Jazz improvisations/compositions

by Bill Evans and Maria Schneider and popular music by The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Cindy Lauper and others. These transcriptions work particularly well on the Covenant Organ which was designed to imitate orchestral colors. While transcribed organ works provide many

opportunities for creativity, they don’t necessarily call for the technical rigor of traditional organ repertoire.

For my study leave, I will study pedagogical keyboard and organ works by J. S. Bach. My plan is to systematically study preludes and fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier, choral preludes from The Little Organ Book and selected movements from Bach’s 6 Trio Sonatas. I am

extremely fortunate to own a two manual harpsichord that includes a full pedal board. It is ideal for studying the works of Bach as it requires incredible sensitivity to touch. My hope is to regain some of the technical proficiency that I had when I was a student and had more time to

practice. 

I have told my students, countless times that “Bach is your best teacher.” After all, he had many gifted students including several of his own children. Furthermore, his approach to pedagogy was to combine theory and practice. Instead of writing a treatise on how to compose a prelude and fugue, he compiled 24 examples of preludes and fugues in The Well-

Tempered Clavier. The collection serves as an academic study of the genre and a masterful collection of works for performance. I’m very excited to spend the next few months with Bach as my teacher and am incredibly grateful that Church of the Covenant has given me this

opportunity.

While I’m away, Kate Salfelder will be covering for me. Kate did so during my last study leave and I received overwhelmingly positive reports on her musicianship and collegiality. You can learn more about Kate here.

With gratitude,

Tom Handel

SUMMER 2022 AT COTC

UPCOMING WORSHIP: Please join us each Sunday at 10:30 am as we come together in community through Zoom to pray, sing, share celebrations and concerns, and hear God’s still-speaking Word proclaimed in these Hybrid services (in-person and Zoom options).

• Sunday, August 28, ZOOM ONLY, Reflection on the Word, Breakout Rooms after worship

Zoom link for each Sunday.

REV. ROB'S SUMMER SABBATH: Continuing for a third year in a row, Rev. Rob will be taking a 4-week Summer Sabbath (August 1-August 28) for the purpose of spending more intentional time with his family that the week-to-week constancy of ministry doesn’t regularly afford. This intentional time differs from a vacation, as two of these weeks Rob is taking as unpaid leave. During this Summer Sabbath, our Associate Pastor Rev. Joshua Lazard (joshua.lazard@cotcbos.org) will be supporting our Deacons in providing any needed pastoral care/coverage, and helping to lead our weekly worship services.

ADULT ED RESCHEDULED - MASSACHUSETTS POST-ROE: We will be rescheduling our discussion of the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. Kathryn will summarize the recent Supreme Court opinion, where reproductive rights stand nationality and where reproductive rights stand in Massachusetts. She will then guide a discussion about what can be done to help protect reproductive rights and bodily autonomy moving forward. Watch here for the new date.

BIBLE STUDY WEDNESDAYS: Our weekly morning Bible Study is each Wednesday morning on Zoom at 9:15am. We are studying the Gospel of John. If you’d like more information or want to be on the list to get regular reminders & Zoom info, contact Jan Gough at revjangough@gmail.com.

NO EVENING PRAYERS DURING AUGUST: We are taking a hiatus from our Wednesday evening prayers for the month of August. If you want to keep up the routine on your own, here's one daily prayer from the Iona Community (click at bottom of their page to see daily 18 min youtube links) you might enjoy from time to time.

CYCE: Thanks to everyone who has participated in CYCE activities this year! The nursery is closed and our Sunday programs are on pause until the fall. We send CYCE updates by email, so if you want to receive those updates, contact kate.carlisle@cotcbos.org.

CLIMATE JUBILEE DIY JAUNT THIS AUGUST: As way to expand the fun of Jubilee Jaunts to include COTCers from across the diaspora, your Climate Jubilee Team invites everyone to GO OUTSIDE during the lovely summer month of August to enjoy the beauty, inspiration, calm, and wonder of God’s Creation. We would love it if everyone would go out for one or more DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Jubilee Jaunts sometime during August. Invite your family and friends, or go solo. Take a walk in the woods, swim in a lake, collect shells by the seashore, paddle in a river, or just sit in your yard, a nearby park, or under a tree—anywhere where nature has a chance to envelope you. Employ all of your senses on your DIY Jubilee Jaunt and record what you see, hear, smell, feel and taste either in your memory, with photos on your phone, or by writing what you experience in a journal. 

Climate Jubilee will host an Adult CE gathering on Sunday, September 25 (right after worship either on Zoom-only or in a hybrid format) so we can share our DIY expeditions with one another. Here is the link to submit your photo and SHORT reflection/ observations/ thoughts.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR OUR FIRST POTLUCK IN OVER 2 YEARS! Sunday, September 11 Our Climate Jubilee Team is hosting a Plant-based Potluck hybrid event with tables in the Berkeley Street vestibule and people flowing onto the steps and sidewalk, and others sharing a meal and conversation on Zoom. Why plant-based?

SUMMER ROAD CLOSURES: Note that Boston & Cambridge have several road races and other events during the summer – so check the city road closures listings each week.

CONTINUED GENEROUS GIVING: In these uncertain times, as we continue to press on in our gospel calling to follow in the justice and love of Jesus, we continue to rely on and give great thanks for your generosity. Here are a few ways you can continue to financially support the church and its ministries:

1. Directly on our website: http://www.cotcbos.org/give.html
2. Download free app: GIVEPLUS+ (GIVE+ by Vanco Services, LLC) in the App Store, Google Play, or at https://giveplushelp.vancopayments.com. Then, type in our zip code 02116 to find Church of the Covenant. Both online options allow you to make a one-time or a recurring gift.
3. If you are uncomfortable with online giving, yes, you can still mail checks!

THE AUGUST ISSUE OF THE COVENANT NEWS can be read online here.