Covenant Presbyterian Church Augusta

Revelation is not usually a favorite book of the Bible for most Christians, but it is a wonderful place to go during the season of Easter. There are many visions of redemption or resurrection throughout. As Pastor Andy Cooke explains, "I will grant to you that most of it sounds odd to our ears and is often not especially well suited to Sunday morning worship. But there are certain parts that paint a glorious picture of God's Kingdom for us. The seventh chapter of Revelation is one of those places, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you this Sunday. I promise that I won't make Mother's Day a drag for you."

On Andy's and my first date, I ordered one of the "safer" items on the menu: a flatbread pizza. Andy, on the other hand, looked at our waiter and said, "I'll just have whatever you think is good." I was both flabbergasted and impressed - who was this man who would leave his dinner order up to a complete stranger??Our choices for dinner that evening many years ago said something true about each of us: Andy likes novelty and adventure, and I prefer what is known and familiar.My preference for the familiar means that I resonate with Peter in this Sunday's gospel reading from John. It's a few days after Jesus' resurrection - a life-changing, world-changing event! - and what does Peter do? He goes back to what's familiar to him; he goes fishing. As pastor Katelyn Gordan Cooke tells us, it might not be what we expect from the disciple who was so zealous in his faith, but it's what he did and it's where Jesus found him.

This Sunday, we will look at the resurrection through the lens of Creation. God's Creation reflects the resurrection everywhere, which is why you see so many hymns that make that connection. As Pastor Andy Cooke explains, simply put, resurrection is God's way and there are opportunities all around for us to see that.

The story of Jesus' resurrection is our annual, insistent reminder that God is not done with the world, with us, or with God's own story yet, and, as Pastor Katelyn Gordon Cook explains, it is a reminder that is joyful, perplexing, surprising, and overwhelming all at the same time.

Pastor Andy Cook tells us this week that this Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week with our Palm Sunday service. Holy Week is a time to remember the words and actions of Jesus and his disciples during that last week in Jerusalem before his resurrection. There is a lot that happens in that week, so it is helpful to pay attention to that story across several days rather than just on Sundays. You might even considering taking time to read that story slowly over the course of this coming week. If you open Luke's Gospel, then you can read one chapter from Luke 19-23 on each weekday.

After weeks of penitential and solemn texts, our Lectionary passages for this Sunday offer a different tone. In the midst of Jesus’ sacrificial journey towards Jerusalem, our Old Testament passages proclaim God is doing a new thing, and that God’s redemptive action can fill even those tired and downcast with laughter and joy.  As pastor Karla Conditt Daniels tells us, our New Testament readings serve as reminders; before we can experience the fullness of God’s Spirit, we must empty ourselves of selfish and miserly beliefs. Only then can we be filled with the goodness of God, made known in Jesus the Anointed One.

We are in for a treat this week as we welcome The Reverend Gail Henderson-Belsito as our guest preacher on Sunday morning. Gail will preach on another powerful story in Scripture - the parable of the Prodigal Son.The stories of Scripture - ancient though they may be - have relevance for us in our present day experiences and circumstances, and we are grateful that we get to share these stories together at Covenant.

Lent can be a tough time to worship together. There are ashes and talk of death, sin, and repentance. There's usually some sort of fast or self-denial. On the first two Sundays in Lent, we've talked about temptation, wilderness, and promises in the midst of doubt. The themes of Lent are weighty and often do not often feel joyful or upbeat.Today, Pastor Andy Cooke brings you a bit of a reprieve this Sunday. Our focus will be on God's abundance, especially as it is envisioned in Isaiah 55. If we look at Lent the right way, then we are really shifting focus and making room for the joy and abundance of God to have a place in our lives. Repentance and self-denial are not ends in and of themselves. Instead, they are means to make room for God in our lives. This Sunday, we will get a glimpse of what God might bring when we shift our priorities and our actions.

In our Scripture passage this Sunday, we'll hear the story of God making an especially important promise to Abraham. It was a promise that would set the course for Abraham's future and the future of God's people, and God would make good on the promise - as God always does. As we continue in the season of Lent, listen to Pastor Katelyn Gordan Cooke as she urges us to consider the nature of God's promises throughout the story of our faith and the promises that God makes to us today.

During Lent, we will have a 9-part sermon series based on our theme for the year, The Stories We Tell. This Sunday, Pastor Andy Cooke preaches on Stories of Temptation, and we will look at the story of Jesus and his temptation in the wilderness in Luke 4.