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At the Session and Deacons planning retreat on August 15, we adopted a watchword—or watch phrase—for Covenant: Trusting God’s Faithfulness, Living God’s Love. The purpose of a watchword is to focus our prayers and our waiting on God. As we seek God’s guidance for the future, we remember all the ways that God has been faithful to Covenant in the past. We are likely to hear many stories of God’s faithfulness as we prepare to celebrate our 75th Anniversary in October, and I invi

I’m sure you’ve heard of “Christmas in July.” But Advent in August is probably something new. I doubt that it will become a catchy phrase, though I do like the alliteration. The Session, Deacons, and I are having a planning retreat on Saturday, August 15. The major theme will be Waiting on God’s Spirit--hence, the connection between Advent and August, since Advent is a time of waiting. We’ve been reading a book by co-authors Andrew Root and Blair Bertrand that encourages

When you read this, my family and I will be with eight other members and friends of Covenant Presbyterian Church at Iona Abbey in Scotland. We are participating in the “Wild Goose Worship Week” from June 27 to July 3. The “Wild Goose” is a Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit, and the Wild Goose Resource Group, who will be leading the workshops at Iona that week, is committed (“are” committed as they say in the UK) to worship renewal and helping congregations find new, innovative

Pastor’s Ponderings June 2026 . . . is the name of our new sermon series on the Book of Romans. I also thought about naming it “A Summer in Rom(ans)” but I ultimately decided that naming it “A Summer in Rome” sounded more enticing. If anything, we should use more adventure metaphors in our Bible studies to remind us that studying the Bible is not only like reading a travel guide to an exotic place but it also involves time travel and imagination and prayerful watching and lis

More Good Days Together Mental Health America’s theme — More Good Days, Together — encourages us all to reflect on what a “good” day looks like, both for ourselves, and for our communities. Together, we can use that insight to connect people to the right support at the right time, and shape advocacy, education, and community engagement to make more good days possible for all. We invite you to reflect on what a “good day” looks like for you. “Good” doesn’t have to mean happy o

During May, Mental Health Awareness month, we focus on the importance of connection in mental health, addiction recovery, and wellness. Connection is a fundamental pillar of mental well-being because humans are not meant to exist in isolation. From our earliest days, emotional health has been shaped by relationships, shared meaning, and a sense of belonging. When people feel connected—to others, to purpose, or to something larger than themselves—they are more resilient in th

Just in case you’re not familiar with the expression “The 100 Days of May,” it is a colloquialism for the chaotic, high-intensity final month of the school year, commonly used by educators and parents. It symbolizes packing 100 days of hectic school events, projects, graduations, and preparations for summer into May’s 31 calendar days. My wife recently made an allusion to the “1,000 Days of May,” which might have been hyperbole but could also have been an acknowledgement that

For all of you who are inclined to attend the Easter Sunrise service this year on April 5 th at 7 a.m., I hope you will linger afterwards for our Easter Breakfast. I realize that Easter brunch will always be more popular than Easter Breakfast, but I love the tradition of Easter Breakfast. One of my favorite stories in the Gospel of John is the story of Jesus making breakfast for some of the disciples after they had spent a long night of fishing without catching anything (Joh

As we begin our Lenten journey together, I’d like to share something from church historian and author Kate Bowler on what Lent really entails. In a recent Instagram post she said, For the next thirty seconds, I’m going to de-influence Lent for you. If Lent is a reset, that is not Lent. If it’s a glow-up or a plan or forty days to get it together, that is not Lent. If it promises relief, or closure, or emotional resolution, that is not Lent. If it expects your grief to behave