I headed south last week, for a late-winter vacation. I spent time in St. Louis with our college senior, and I spent a few days in Birmingham, Alabama--a state I had never previously visited. | | |
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In St. Louis, I enjoyed connecting with our son and his friends and the two of us marveled at the mosaics in the Basilica of St. Louis, which has over 41 million mosaic tiles! I also biked around Forest Park and the WashU campus.
In Birmingham, highlights were spending time with my cousin Charlie and his wife, biking around Red Mountain Park, a somber visit to 16th Street Baptist Church, and a colorful visit to the Birmingham Museum of Art. Click on the Basilica photo to see a few more from my trip.
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Seeking spiritual nourishment, I also attended two Presbyterian churches on my trip. On Wednesday evening, I joined the good folks of South Highland Presbyterian Church in Birmingham for Wednesday dinner and worship, in their beautiful building, pictured below. On Sunday morning, I worshipped with the good folks of Trinity Presbyterian of University City near St. Louis. | |
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I felt a great sense of welcome in both churches. I met friendly people and staff who looked me in the eye and asked about me. At the Wednesday dinner, a friendly man named Brody invited me to sit with his family.
In both worship services, we shared the peace of Christ with sincerity, and we had communion. When I went forward to receive the bread of life and cup of salvation, both Pastor Abby and Pastor Melanie called me by name, which helped me remember that I am a beloved child of God.
Here at Covenant we do a good job at being welcoming, but we need to stay vigilant. Every Sunday there are people here—members and visitors—who are hurting, sad, and lonely. Sometimes I see people standing alone during the passing of the peace and in the gathering space outside the sanctuary.
After three years of Covid isolation, lots of people are feeling disconnected, hurt, and lonely, so we need to do the best we can to reconnect and support each other.
Now is a good time to start thinking about who you might want to invite to church on Easter Sunday, April 9, to share in the Good News.
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In a broader sense of welcome, I’m glad to be part of a church where all God’s children are valued. Covenant has a solid history of welcoming LGBTQ people, which sadly is not the case for all churches, as recent headlines in Madison have reminded us.
The Good News of God’s love is for everyone. So we welcome the Good News, and we share it however we can.
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On the journey together,
Charlie
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PS This week we had a brunch with many staff members, to celebrate several staff birthdays. I am super grateful for our hard working and good-hearted staff. Please thank them any chance you get! | |
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In-Person and Livestream worship: 9:00am & 11:00am
- Third Sunday in Lent | "The Water of Life"
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Music at 9:00: Guest pianist Beth Wilson
- Music at 11:00: Covenant Chancel Choir and Doug McNeel
- Preaching: Charlie Berthoud | Sermon: "The Water of Life" | Text: John 4:7-15
- Children's Time with Marge Resan
- Kaleidoscope Kids class (9:00am only)
- Nursery Care (8:45am-12:15pm)
- Sunday School 10:00-10:55am
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Visit our Worship HQ for everything you need to worship with us online!
| If you missed a service or would like to watch a service again, all livestreamed services are saved to our YouTube channel. Or you can give the sermons another listen on our sermon podcast! | |
Join us Sunday at 10:00am for the class “The Atonement,” led by Covenant member Doug Poland. The beginning of Lent offers the perfect time to study and reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ life and death. Why did God allow Jesus to die? Did Jesus have to die? What does Jesus’ death signify? Why is his death important, and what does it mean for us today? This 3-part class will examine specific examples of atonement theory that pervade our religious and popular music/literature, explore the main historical theological bases for atonement theories, consider contemporary Christian criticisms of classic atonement theories, and allow time for discussion. | All Adult Ed classes meet in Bradfield Hall and are available via Zoom at us02web.zoom.us/j/89540028471. Please visit covenantmadison.org/adult for more info. | |
We encourage all who are interested to attend this informational meeting Sunday 12:15-1:15pm in Bradfield Hall about our teen and adult mission trip to Guatemala! The trip is scheduled from July 31 to August 7, 2023. Youth ages 12 and up are welcome to join the trip, and parents are welcome to come along as chaperones. Contact Pastor Charlie if you have questions. | |
The Hill Farms Neighborhood Association will be hosting a mayoral forum at Covenant this Monday with the two candidates for Mayor of Madison: Satya Rhodes-Conway and Gloria Reyes. Click HERE or on the image for more info. | |
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Loving God, in your mercy hear our prayers for. . .
This week's white rose commemorates the life of Marilou Angevine, Covenant member.
New this week: Hilary Virtanen & family, friends of Bailey Green.
We pray for healing, for courage, and for peace, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(click on the image header for full prayer list on Worship HQ)
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Join us for a service of scripture, music and prayer @ Covenant this Wednesday! These 30-minute services have been alternating between Covenant Presbyterian and Westminster Presbyterian since March 1st. Remaining services: March 15 (Covenant), March 22 (Westminster), and March 29 (Covenant). | |
As part of our “We Belong to God” Lenten series, we’re hosting three conversations about life and death issues, facilitated by our pastoral staff. Take some time to reflect on the challenging reality of death, and share stories with each other. Come join us for any of them to share your story or just listen. For our first session with Pastor Clara, snacks will be provided, but bring a lunch if you like! | |
On Easter Sunday, the chancel is beautifully adorned with lilies in celebration of the Risen Lord! Those are always graciously donated by members and friends of Covenant. If you are interested in donating, contact the office! Each lily is a $15 donation. Then you get to take a lily home after Easter worship! | |
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It’s that time of year! Pastor Charlie will be hosting a bracket challenge for the men’s and women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments. Click links below if you're interested in joining either - or BOTH! Contact Charlie if you have any questions.
Men's Tournament Bracket Challenge
Women's Tournament Bracket Challenge
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