This Sunday is the 4th Sunday of Kingdomtide. Our theme this year for this season is making “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” We are looking at how to make this happen by living out our Covenant Vision of “Being an inclusive community of faith – Offering Hope + Sharing Faithfulness + Sharing Joy.”
This week we consider “The Vision is Showing Faithfulness.” This Sunday is also a memorable one in the life of Covenant and me. It is my 20th Anniversary as It’s Pastor.
My mind floods with memories and milestones from this past 20 years. Psalms 145:8-9 reminds me of God’s faithfulness to Covenant and me, in the good times and even during times of adversity, this past 20 years. “The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. God showers compassion on all God’s creation.”
If I had to choose the lyrics of songs that reflect God’s faithfulness to Covenant and me during our times together, there are too many to include them all in this limited space. However, one would be Dottie Peoples singing; “As I look back over my life (these past 20 years). And I think things over. I can truly say that I’ve been blessed, I’ve got a testimony.”
Another reflective of living out the 2nd of the greatest commandment, “love your neighbor as yourself,” would be Mahalia Jackson’s singing: “If I can help somebody, as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song. If I can show somebody, how they’re traveling wrong. Then my living shall not be in vain. … If I can do my duty, as a good [person] ought. If I can bring back beauty to a world up wrought. If I can spread love’s message, as the [Savior] taught, Then, my living shall not be in vain.”
But there’s a song on God’s faithfulness that stands above them all. A great hymn based on Lamentations 3. “Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh God, my [Savior,] There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions they fail not. As thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. Great is thy Faithfulness, Great is Thy Faithfulness. Morning by morning (over these 20 years) new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.”
So, we invite you this Sunday morning to join us by Zoom or Live Stream as Rev. Char Burch, our Conference Minister will join us with remarks for the occasion, as we continue the series on the Vision. This Sunday, the sermon is “Part 2 – The Vision is Showing Faithfulness,” based on Psalms 145:8-14 and Philippians 1:20-30.
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