Covenant Presbyterian Church – Charlotte NC

In this week's One Takes series, Bob speaks to the rich period of life and worship we soon head into as we look to the fall season to come. Bob and the team will introduce a new "Welcome Home" sermon series and make announcements on major affordable housing initiatives our community will be participating in this fall. Bob also encourages us to persevere as we face new COVID-19 variants, ensuring w...

In this week's One Takes, Pastoral Resident, Serenitye Taylor, speaks with Lauren Sawyers, one of our Outdoor Ministry leaders, about the ways our Congregational Life team has explored ways to expand the Outdoor Ministry program into four different buckets. Over the past year, many of us have gained a new appreciation for the outdoors in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Outdoor Ministry is seek...

Results of Justification 5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access[b] to this grace in which we stand; and we[c] boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we[d] also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character,...

In this week’s One Takes, Grace Lindvall shares her thoughts on new life continuing to spring up all around us as we re-orient ourselves into a new normal and way forward after the past 18 months. Grace challenges us to look for ways we can see and embrace new life in our days, making room for new and beautiful experiences, rhythms and routines instead of recreating what was before. Another way Gr...

Psalm 30 Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the temple. Of David. 1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.[a] 4 Sing praises to t...

Shea, the son of a Pentacostal preacher, realized from an early age that music is the way he communicates with God. In this clip, Shea shares about his take on music being more than just the words we sing, it is an entity that can deeply shape our values, faith journeys and the way we experience worship. Shea believes in a "theology of fun," and looks forward to creating a contemporary worship env...

The New Life in Christ 3 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your[a] life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. 5 Put to death,...

In this week's One Takes, Pastoral Resident, Molly Smerko reflects on the mystery of God. While no one has fully seen God, there are many ways that we can reflect on God's majesty. Molly uses a newly released children's book, "What is God Like?" (Evans/Turner) as one way to think about who God is. What things - art, music, nature - help you to ponder God? We hope you will take time this week to re...

Feeding the Five Thousand 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurr...

In this week's One Takes, Bob reflects on July as hallowed time. Bob speaks of July as a month that we can all use to prioritize inward richness, rest, play and intellectual growth as we recover from the year prior and look toward the fall and year ahead. Watch to learn how Bob and his family are using this month to nourish their spirits and how they encourage you to do the same.

Imitating Christ’s Humility 2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to yo...

In this week's One Takes series, Pastoral Resident, Serenitye Taylor, speaks to the internship program at Covenant. Watch to learn more about how the individuals part of both the Stapleton Davidson and People in Mission internship programs partner with mission projects across Charlotte to make an impact. As part of their reflection time, Serenitye and the interns are also reading A Riff of Love by...

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. The Nature of Christian Freedom 2 Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. 4 You who want to be justified by the...

In this week's One Takes, Grace tackles the topic of routines and discusses how our routines are shifting yet again. As we move forward in this "new normal," Grace encourages us to intentionally reshape our days, prioritizing those things that are most essential to us, rather than returning to how things may have been before. Make time to take stock this week, reflecting on what you've learned abo...

The song “40” by the band U2 has long been one of my favorite songs. Before I knew that it was a rendition of Psalm 40, I loved its soothing melody and refrain of “how long?” I remember joining my voice with thousands of other voices at a U2 concert in singing those words. Little did I know then, but I was participating in a time-honored tradition that goes back at least to the writing of the Psal...

In this week's One Takes series, Katherine Kerr reflects on what it means to bring our full - not perfect - selves to church, honoring the broad spectrum of emotions many of us are experiencing as we navigate this new chapter of the pandemic and return to normal activities. Katherine also speaks to the many resources available to members during this time, encouraging any and all to reach out for s...

All scripture is inspired by God and is[a] useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath 1 In the beginning when God created[a] the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God[b] swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the...

In today’s Weekly One Takes, Pastoral Resident Serenitye Taylor speaks with Covenant member Fielding Williams, who reflects on the importance of having a community of support within the church, especially during times of sadness, stress and joy. Fielding leads Covenant’s Nurturing our Neighbor, a group organized to reach out to members experiencing things like loss, sickness, surgery, birth or ado...

The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother 11 Then Jesus[a] said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute livin...

The Coming of the Holy Spirit 2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in ot...

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body[a] through the cross, thus putting to death that h...