Church of the Covenant
Boston, Massachusetts

This Week at Covenant
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Holy Communion
This Sunday at Covenant
Worship Service
10:30 am via Zoom: click here

Bulletin: click here

Scripture Readings:
Psalm 47
Acts 1:2-12

Worship Participants:
Preaching – Rev. Joshua Lawrence Lazard
Minister of Music – Tom Handel
Liturgist – Rev. Rob Mark
Lector – Linda Pursley
Cantor – Rev. Tom Reid
This Upcoming Week at Covenant
PEACE BE WITH YOU IN THESE DAYS:
We are so grateful to be connected as a family of faith! As we all do our part to love our neighbor as ourselves to help “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus/COVID-19, our building remains closed; all meetings and events that are offered, including worship, have shifted to an online or conference call format.

We are grateful for the technology that allows the majority of us to gather together online. And in faith and through God’s ceaseless, amazing grace—as we practice “social distancing” we also practice “spiritual nearing” to each other and the Sweet Holy Spirit.

The announcements that follow reflect the ongoing abundant life that is Church of the Covenant.

20s-30s-40s SUNDAY BRUNCH THIS WEEK: This Sunday, May 16 at 12:30pm, the 20s30s40s group will be hosting its monthly Sunday brunch on Zoom. This will be a time to share a meal and fellowship with each other. Meal reimbursements are available. The Zoom link has been sent by email, but it’s not too late to join us – for more information, contact Rev. Joshua at joshua.lazard@cotcbos.org 

GBIO LISTENING SESSIONS SUNDAY FOLLOWING WORSHIP: The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization has a long history of working on social justice issues that are of deep concern to its member organizations. Now that GBIO been “refounded” with about 20 new member organizations, it is sponsoring “Listening Sessions,” to hear about what most concerns you and why.  Here at Covenant, we are off to a strong start with 5 sessions in April.  We will continue by offering 2 to 3 sessions this Sunday, a few minutes after church. We will be invited to share, in confidence, our worries, our hopes and fears.  
If you would like to join us simply stay on the zoom. The 20s, 30s & 40s group will be in one session and the rest of you will be randomly assigned to a small group led by Covenant’s GBIO Team members. The GBIO Listening Campaign Team will soon begin the process of pulling all our stories together and working to shape an agenda for 2022 and beyond. GBIO will hold a Delegates Assembly on Monday, June 7th to share common themes from the sessions and learn what is most widely and deeply felt across the entire organization.  

FACING OUR RACISM WORKSHOP THIS SUNDAY: Our friends at Co-operative Metropolitan Ministry are organizing an excellent few hours long workshop, join Rev. Rob, $45 (scholarships available - please ask Rob), “Facing Our Racism: Becoming Conscious Partners” on Sunday, May 16, noon-4:30pm – click here to register.

MCKENNA LEWELLEN'S ORDINATION SUNDAY 4pm on ZOOM: Register here.

UPCOMING WORSHIP ON SUNDAYS: 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.
  • May 16, Rev. Joshua preaching, Communion
  • May 23, Pentecost, Rev. Rob preaching
  • May 30, Reflection on the Word
  • June 6, Celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism of William Toles
  • June 13, Rev. Rob preaching, Thanking & Commissioning our Teachers

IN CASE OF MAJOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES DURING WORSHIP: Should any major technical glitches arise during worship and Zoom become challenged / the meeting end before worship is over, please relocate to our YouTube livestream page where a new livestream will start up. In the case of minor technological glitches (your mic doesn’t work, your video doesn’t seem to work), feel free to reach out to any church staff member for assistance.

CLIMATE JUBILEE TEAM "LINKS OF THE WEEK"!: Following up on our Arbor Day Adult Ed. Session a couple weeks ago, the Climate Jubilee Team encourages you to watch a charming, 58-minute program which was a part of the Arbor Week celebration of Speak for the Trees Boston. Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman, and Professor Christopher Ives were part of a roundtable discussion about the role of trees in faith and justice. COTC’s own Liz Vizza made a profound contribution to the Q&A portion of the conversation. Watch on YouTube here.
The Climate Jubilee Team also commends a Harvard Book Store virtual event with Jane Goodall and Peter Wohlleben on The Heartbeat of Trees, this Sunday at 1:00pm. You can sign up here with a pay-what-you-can $5 donation option.

PENTECOST SPECIAL OFFERING: On Pentecost Sunday we celebrate God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. COTC is collecting a special offering on behalf of our two denominations to demonstrate the Holy Spirit’s power to transform the world and each of us. The UCC’s Strengthen the Church offering supports new and innovative ministries in UCC churches. This support has been especially valuable and necessary during the pandemic! The PCUSA Pentecost offering is used to invest in young people through programs like Young Adult Volunteers and providing aid to at-risk children. As our congregation grieves and condemns the recent upsurge in anti-Asian hate crimes, the Mission and Advocacy Committee has decided to contribute a portion of this year's offering to the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, which empowers Asians and new immigrants by providing programming, family support, workforce development, and education. Please consider investing in the future of our two denominations by giving to the Pentecost-Strengthen the Church offerings.

EASTER EVENING PRAYERS: Join us each Wednesday during this Easter season for our evening prayer service. As we did in Lent, if you'd like to help choose a reading for either of these services, please email. Zoom link for Wednesday.

CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH PROGRAMMING: Each Sunday beginning at 9:45AM we gather using Zoom for Godly Play and Youth Class. Our Godly Play class gathers to sing, share news with each other, pray together, and hear ancient and contemporary stories of our faith. Our Youth Class shares their weekly gathering rituals and explores topics of interest and curiosity in faith and identity. If you need a Zoom link, email children@cotcbos.org or contact Rev. Kate at kate.carlisle@cotcbos.org.

BIBLE STUDY - FRIDAYS 11AM: Our virtual Bible Study is meeting at 11:00 am on Fridays, and we are currently studying the book of Acts. If you have questions, please contact Nancy Ammerman at ntammerman@gmail.com. We gather on Zoom for about an hour for a “BYOB” (bring your own Bible) gathering. Let us know if you'd like to be sent the Zoom link, and drop in any week! No homework required!

COVENANT BOOK DISCUSSION SUNDAY, MAY 23!: On Sunday, May 23, at 5pm, there will be a discussion of the second half of the book Dear White Christians by Jennifer Harvey. As always, you are welcome whether or not you’ve ever attended a Covenant book discussion before and whether or not you’ve read the book. Here’s the Zoom link, and we look forward to seeing you!
Questions? Email Barbara.

REMINDER: COTCCONNECTS & COTCBOS LISTSERVS:
In December, Yahoo! Groups closed permanently and we moved the longstanding COTC community discussion group listservs over to a service called groups.io. While groups.io has been working very well for our purposes these last few months, we have noticed many folks either have not joined yet or have not been able to join. We know that, in particular, there was difficulty for some of you with gmail addresses due to the gmail outages in December. If you have not been receiving occasional emails marked [cotcbos] and [cotcconnects], you are not enrolled for either or both of those listservs. This announcement is a reminder and encouragement to sign up for COTC Connects and COTCBOS, if you would like. COTC Connects is a moderated listserv for church-related matters such as prayer requests and event updates. COTCBOS is the unmoderated listserv for non-church-related matters, such as questions, requests, job postings, life updates, etc. Official announcements from the church, including This Week at Covenant, continue to be sent out from Constant Contact. To join COTC Connects, send an email to cotcconnects+subscribe@groups.io. To join COTCBOS, send an email to cotcbos+subscribe@groups.io. Be sure to send those emails from the address with which you want to join. For assistance with joining or any other listserv issues, please email Kate at kate.carlisle@cotcbos.org. See more about signing up for COTC communications here.

VACCINATIONS: As we all know, our Commonwealth is in the process of ensuring everyone gets a COVID-19 vaccine according to MA/CDC guidelines/ phasing – yet the process can feel a bit daunting and frustrating. As we give thanks for the miraculous reality of these vaccines, we lament the unequal access still in our state, and the confusing roll out. Everyone ages 16+ is now eligible for the vaccine. See this Mass.gov website where you can pre-register when there is availability: vaccinesignup.mass.gov/#/ If you are feeling confused, you are not alone, and we are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Rob, Joshua, Kate or our Deacons if you could use some help in making sense of this and making a plan to get vaccinated. We also recommend everyone be in touch with their PCP as a first step. And remember, even in the face of a long history of unequal health care access, we at COTC deeply believe in the importance and efficacy of this vaccine as a necessary next step in reaching public health. Here are some helpful websites: https://www.macovidvaccines.com/ and https://www.cic-health.com/vaccines-location#fenway in addition to https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-covid-19-vaccination-data-and-updates

WHAT CAN I DO ONCE VACCINATED? As we give thanks that increasing numbers of people are getting vaccinated, many are asking this question, here are a few guidelines: 

ARE YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW FACING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES? Info on fuel and electricity discounts in MA available here.

CONTINUED GIVING: Even in face of important, life-giving changes, our COTC ministry remains moving full steam ahead. Our staff and pastors continue to be hard at work. Our building continues to be faithfully stewarded. Our deacons and pastors continue to carry out vital pastoral care in these days. Therefore, your continued generosity and giving to help support the work of our church community is even more valued in these challenging days. And we are deeply grateful for your tangible signs of 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!

ZOOM Tutorials:
Here are the Zoom details for Sundays:
join by computer/tablet/smartphone:
one tap mobile:
+16465588656,,91025989890#,,#,892502#
join by phone:
+1 646 558 8656, Meeting ID: 910 2598 9890, Password: 892502

Some suggestions to aid in your worship for you to consider:
  1. Printing the bulletin out in advance so you have it during worship
  2. Pulling the bulletin up on a second device/phone/screen
  3. Pulling both the bulletin up and Zoom, and switch between them as needed. The liturgy, songs, and scripture are the important times to have this bulletin visible if possible.
  4. And if none of these options work for you, no worries—just following the link will be fine – you will be able to worship fully.

If you are unfamiliar with Zoom, click this link Zoom How To for a video on how to join Zoom Meetings. Here are a few step by step procedures on how to join a Zoom meeting from your specific device.


BUILDING ACCESS: Our church building remains closed except for services connected with Women’s Lunch Place, our Food Pantry, and a subset of our church staff (Rev. Rob, Tom Handel, Bill Brown, Alan Lane, Faith Perry, Nancy Stockford, and Chuck Ferrell), who only enter for specific and limited purposes. All other staff, church leaders, and key holders are required to keep away from the church building until further notice. While we are not opening for our normal Open Sanctuary program this year, we have protocols in place to allow for safe group tours by appointment through Bill Brown.

THE MAY ISSUE OF THE COVENANT NEWS can be read online here. 
‌
Resources In Light of COVID-19:
Personal Practices: (as reminders)
  • Vaccinations: Here are some helpful websites: https://www.macovidvaccines.com/ and https://www.cic-health.com/vaccines-location#fenway in addition to https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-covid-19-vaccination-data-and-updates
  • As per Commonwealth's new law, be sure to where a face and nose covering when you are outside, or in need of entering a store for essential needs.
  • Throughout the day, wash your hands for 20 seconds while singing the doxology or "this little light of mine" or saying a prayer for the world. Soap, rigorous rubbing and rinsing is the best way to stop the virus/ germs.
  • When hand-washing is not an option, use hand sanitizer, rub hands well, and air dry your hands.
  • Drink water, a lot! Hydration is a great way to stay healthy, and if any virus comes to you, water does a great job in helping to rid the lungs and body and restore health sooner. "Its great to hydrate!"
  • Avoid all large gatherings - stay put as much as you can - and of course keep loving your neighbor fully by keeping that sacred social distance of 6-feet away.
  • Sneeze and cough into your armpit. Then wash your hands anyway. Wash your clothes regularly.
  • Do the impossible by avoiding to touch your beautiful faces. :)
  • Clean/ sanitize commonly used surfaces regularly.
  • Even if you're young and healthy, it is critical that you take all of these steps because they help protect the rest of your community. You'll reduce the risk of unknowingly passing on the disease to someone else.
  • Do everything you can to follow these guidelines and take care of yourself. And if you're able, please take care of your friends, your family, your neighbors, and anyone around you who might need a little extra help — pick up groceries for an older neighbor or order takeout from a local restaurant that is struggling.
  • And again, with each pump of the hand sanitizers, each washing of the hands in these days, let us remember not just our own needs, but the needs of others. With each pump, a prayer: "God, may your blessings of wellness, wholeness, health and healing come to all in harm's way. And over, and in, and through all, may there be love blanketing all. In the strong name of Christ we pray, Amen."

Take Media Breaks & Get Outside: In these days of rapidly shifting realities, it is tempting to stay glued to media - public radio, news, websites. While it is important on some levels for us to stay in tune and be aware with what is unfolding - it is also an important psychological and spiritual step to take a break from it all at times. Unplug. Turn off. Go outside and seek out an early blooming crocus. Look up at tree buds beginning to bloom. Take a walk. Take a nap. Read a book. Veg out. Listen to music. Sing. Call a friend. Whatever relaxes and calms, take a break, and breathe deep.

Pastoral Care: We are continuing to check in on one another in these days - but if you are in any particular need for a visit or a call, please reach out to your pastors or your deacons.
Here are some helpful pages, with live links:

Finally, as we continue to hear the daily refrain of COVID-19, I offer us Psalm 19 as a hopeful, spiritual counter-refrain:
The heavens are telling the glory of God,
  and the elements Her handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
  and night to night declares wisdom.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
   their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
   and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens, God has set a tent for the sun...
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
   be acceptable to you,
   O God, my rock and my redeemer.
617.266.7480  info@cotcbos.org  www.cotcbos.org
67 Newbury St
Boston, MA 02116