I’ve always liked Top Ten lists, back since the days of David Letterman. Below you will see a button linking to the Top Ten Blessings of 2022 that we shared at the congregational meeting last week. Thanks be to God for a good year in our church! | |
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I’m working on a new list: Top Ten Good Reasons To Be Involved at Covenant Presbyterian Church. (I’m also working on a shorter title for the list!)
I was inspired to think about the new list by Rev. Moly Phinney Baskette. In her book Real Good Church, she has a list: “Ten Reasons You Should Be Going to Church.” Click on image to learn about the book. A few of her reasons are:
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- Coming to church doesn’t mean you have no doubts about God or faith or religion. It means you have a place you can share with people who have their own doubts.
- Bad stuff is going to happen in your life. It just is. A church community cannot be everything to everyone in a time of crisis, but when the bottom falls out of your world, it’s great to have a church community to lift you back up.
- Taking a break from our hectic lives is accepting the gift of Sabbath… We don’t take Sabbath and come to church because we have time and have finished up everything that needs to be done. We take Sabbath because it’s time to stop and we are designed to stop, rest and reflect. Those who don’t are destined to crash and burn.
Lent begins this week, and with Lent we begin our new series called “We Belong to God,” reflecting on life and death. We will have Adult Ed classes on funeral planning, burial and cremation options, estate planning, and a theological reflection on the death of Jesus. Sermons will remind us that life is short, that we all die, and that death is not the final word. And we’ll have three “Let’s talk about death” gatherings—one at church, one online, and one at a coffee shop. Details coming soon on those.
Lent is when we move toward the biblical account of Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem, where he is arrested, tried, and executed by the religious and political authorities--and then resurrected by God. It’s a good time to be thinking about life and death issues.
One emphasis of the series is that despite the realities that life is often challenging and that we all will die, life is good! I can think of at least ten things to put on a “life is good” top ten list.
Stay warm and safe.
On the journey together,
Charlie
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Click on the image for the Top Ten Blessings of 2022, and click HERE for the 2022 Annual Report. | |
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In-Person and Livestream worship: 9:00am & 11:00am
- First Sunday in Lent | "We Belong to God: A Series on Life and Death"
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Imposition of Ashes (optional)
- Music from New Day Ensemble, Covenant Choir, Ben Welch, Doug McNeel
- Preaching: Charlie Berthoud | Sermon: "You are Dust" | Text: Genesis 3:19
- Children's Time with Marge Resan
- Kaleidoscope Kids worship education (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! | |
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"We Belong to God: A Series on Life and Death"
Jesus promises abundant life, and Jesus also faces the reality of death in his ministry. During Lent, Christians follow Jesus to Jerusalem, where he faces death on the cross. We know that death is real, and we have faith that death isn’t the final word, as people of resurrection hope. In this series (in sermons and in Christian education) we will focus on how we prepare ourselves and loved ones for the eventuality of death and how we can live a more abundant, God-filled life.
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Join us Sunday at 10:00am for the class “Planning for Disability and Death: Easing the Transition,” led by Covenant member Christine Barden. Christine is Shareholder in Trusts & Estates at Reinhart Law Firm. She will discuss the importance of planning for your disability and death, including an overview of the key documents involved in such a plan, and suggestions for communicating with family regarding the same. | 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. | |
Join us Sunday at Holy Wisdom Monastery! Spiritual Strolls are on the 4th Sunday of the month and are part of CONNECT, a program of events sponsored by the deacons of Covenant Presbyterian Church with the intention of fostering connection within the congregation and community. | |
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Loving God, in your mercy hear our prayers for. . .
New this week: Stephanie, friend of Eric Miller; Bobby Hoeck and family, aunt of Jennifer Morgan.
We pray for healing, for courage, and for peace, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(click on the image header for full prayer list)
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All are invited to a time of good food and warm fellowship. Feel free to cook, or pick something up at the store or a restaurant to share. Beverages, plates, and utensils will be provided. No reservations are necessary, and bring a friend! | |
RESCHEDULED! Everyone is invited to a family-friendly supper in Bradfield Hall before the Lenten Taizé service. Savor a Baked Potato Bar (with yummy toppings!) for supper and enjoy the fellowship as we welcome friends from Westminster and elsewhere. No reservations needed, and it's free! This supper is a partial rescheduling from the Ash Wednesday Supper Service that did not happen due to the winter storm. | |
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Join us for a service of scripture, music and prayer. Services will alternate between Covenant and Westminster Presbyterian, beginning at Covenant on March 1.
Brother Roger Schultz (1915-2005) was a Swiss reformed theologian. On Easter Day in 1949, Brother Roger along with seven other Protestant brothers committed themselves to a life of prayer, simplicity, and service. In doing so, the Taize Ecumenical Community was formed near the village of Taize in eastern France. Through the decades, the community has grown in numbers and influence. Each week during the summer, up to 4,000 youth from all over the world gather in prayer and service with the brothers at Taize. Today, the music of Taize has found a place in the hymnody of many congregations, including the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA).
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Racist Anonymous Fellowship begins a book study Thursday, March 2 at 7:00pm via Zoom on the book The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee. A New York Times Bestseller, published in 2021, this thoughtful book discusses how racism has a cost for everyone, and emphasizes the importance of multiracial solidarity. If you are interested, please contact Jennifer Morgan with any questions or to be added to the email list. | |
Children ages 5 and up are invited to volunteer with Covenant! Sign up in gathering space or via the QR code here. We will meet at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (7291 Cty Highway PD, Verona). Click HERE for more info. | | | | |
