Covenant Update

Dear Covenant Family:

Another good day at Covenant, we had 28 attendees for the service.  Don’s sermon was titled Remember Me.  His scripture was:

Luke 22:14-20 – When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”  ¹⁷ After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. ¹⁸ For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  ¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  ²⁰ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

This was the scripture to go with Communion that we served for only the third time today since the pandemic began 18 months ago.  The point Don made in his sermon was that Jesus was with the disciples during the difficult times they suffered after His resurrection as they gave their lives to grow His kingdom.  His second point is that God is also with us as we go through the very difficult times in our lives.

Attached is the bulletin from yesterday’s service.  Note that we contributed $920 to the local school program Food4Backpack to assist Alachua County school students in need to have food on weekends.  Also, Craig Alexander will deliver our paper and cleaning goods to Pine Grove this week.  Don Mauldin will go with him to meet the leader of this effort at Pine Grove so they can get to know him as well.  The faculty sponsor of Student Government at Newberry High School and their Student Government leaders have thanked Covenant Church for our toiletry contribution to their closet which can be accessed by any student at Newberry needing any toiletry.

For September, we will do hurricane relief and we will support the Florida Baptist Convention for which 100% of our donation will go to people affected by the hurricane.  Covenant will send them $500 immediately which is the church contribution, and then we will send whatever else is donated by members this month at the end of the month as well.

We only have one Prayer List update since the update I emailed out on Saturday.  Counts Booth, who was admitted to North Florida Hospital Thursday morning with breathing issues, was then diagnosed with COVID on Thursday, went home Saturday morning, feeling much better.  What a great story for anyone, but especially for someone 105 years old!

Finally, Cindy and I will be gone the next two Sundays, so I will not be able to provide our usual Sunday updates during that time.  However, I can still send out Prayer List updates if anyone sends me information.  I will try to get out my Friday TGIF messages while gone, but it is sketchy trying to email them when I am away from home, so we’ll see if I can stay in touch.  I apologize if I cannot get them out.

Stay safe, and may God bless your week!

Ron