Covenant Presbyterian Church Augusta

11/17/2024 The View From Above

We've all had our challenges lately. When we are in the midst of challenging times, it can be comforting to read the stories in Scripture of those who experienced their own challenges and to hear how God was at work during those difficult moments. Our focus this Sunday will be the story of Hannah, who was not able to conceive a child and who prayed that God would bless her with a son. As is often the case, the immediate story looked like a disaster--but the larger story was amazing. I hope that you'll join us on this podcast to hear more.

11/10/2024 Here in This Place

There is a line in The Confession of 1967 that says the quality of our relations with other persons is the measure of the church's fidelity. I've thought about that line a lot over the past week, especially as I saw people make overblown statements about others leading up to and immediately following the presidential election. It is hard work to value people with whom you so vehemently disagree. It is much easier to assume the worst and to call them names. If you're reading this, then you don't get to act like the rest of the world. You are a follower of Christ, and it is your job to model a different kind of love to a world that often resists it. The measure of the church's fidelity is the quality of our relations with other persons.I'm grateful that we have a community that aspires to something greater, and people within it who can help us to grow in love and faith together.

11/3/2024. Turning Back, Looking Forward

Several years ago I came across this line in a book I was reading: "People don't resist change; they resist loss." Oof. I can't speak for you, but that resonates with me. I'm not good with grief, and I don't think our culture is either. We're too fixated on success and happiness and positivity.Our faith, though, does allow for grief and sadness, and we'll get to hear one of the most powerful stories of grief in Scripture in Sunday's worship service. The story of Naomi and Ruth invites us to notice God's presence and provision in the darkest days of our lives and the strength that comes from that experience.

10/27/2024 A Reforming Fire

This week we celebrate Reformation Sunday with the Kirkin' O' the Tartans. We will honor the roots of our Presbyterian denomination with traditional Scottish music and a processional of tartans.  And a wonderful message entitled, "A Reforming Fire."

10/20/2024 Carrying Each Other

As Covenant congregants continue dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we explore what it means to be a people of faith during difficult times like these following Hurricane Helene.  Sometimes we have to learn to be receivers and not just givers of God's grace and love to others.
 

10/13/2024 Hurricane Worship Service

Hurricane Helene devastated Augusta, Georgia.  It resulted in the loss of 107 trees on Covenant Presbyterian Church's property and extensive damage to the physical facility.  But even amongst the debris on the property, we gathered for worship to praise God.  Today we hear a new interpretation of the parable of The Rich Young Ruler.  We also hear a desire for clarity as the congregants deal personally with Helene's aftermath.

9/22/2024 Destined for Greatness

Maybe you have an experience like this - a time when you hoped for success and recognition but were instead humbled and reminded of your own limitations. Jesus' disciples certainly did, and they were caught in their hubris when Jesus overheard them arguing about who was the greatest and called them on it.This is the story we'll hear in worship this Sunday, and I hope you'll join me as we consider together what greatness really looks like and the example of greatness that we see in Jesus Christ.

9/15/2024 Take Up and Follow

As followers of Christ, it is hard work to decide when to speak and when to remain silent. We feel called to speak up about injustice, but we also don't want to damage relationships. We believe that accountability is important, but we don't want it to overshadow the grace of God. We have passion for an issue, but we don't want to silence others or diminish their dignity. When should I speak, and when should I bite my tongue? Our readings from Mark and James both address this conundrum and I'm looking forward to exploring them with you.

9/8/2024 "It's Not Fair"

Andy Cooke is one of the most even-keeled people I know, but if you want to get him riled up, just tell him something isn't fair. As our children have learned, arguing about fairness is not the way to get Andy on your side. It's a human thing to want life to be fair, but life is often otherwise. We recognize that truth in our own lives, and we see it in the story of the Syrophoencian woman in this Sunday's gospel reading from Mark. The woman's audacity seems to surprise Jesus, and his response might surprise us. We'll explore this story together in worship on Sunday morning.

9/1/2024 Trustworthy Tutorial

When you need to learn to do something, finding trustworthy sources of information can be a challenge, especially if you consult the internet. Luckily we can take the "old school" alternative and consult Holy Scripture, which gives us two excellent tutorials about how to live as faithful people in our Psalm and Epistle lessons this week.