Covenant Update

Dear Covenant Family:

Today was a great day at Covenant with 30 folks in attendance.  Please remember that next Saturday, December 24, Covenant Church will have a Christmas Eve service at 5 PM.  There will be no church service on Sunday, December 25, so church members and friends can spend Christmas Day with their families.

A prayer request was asked for Mack Vlacos, who is at home but still not feeling well and his doctors have not yet diagnosed his medical issue. Carol Parker also asked for prayers for Sam Parker. A number of praises were also raised today – Becky Alexander was just given a clean bill of health by her cancer doctor and she does not have to return for another year, Missy Mauldin mentioned that her missionary friends in Madrid, Spain recently had good success in recently bringing new people into their church, and Brandon Caton and his wife, Brandon is the son of Billy and Missy Caton, brought a baby girl into the world named Gracelyn Paige Caton. Please pray this week for those in need and for the praises as well.

Attached is today’s church bulletin. Please note the message included titled True Christian Christmas that Tina has shared.  Also note the message on the back of the bulletin about the poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow at Christmas during a time of great strife in his life, and finding hope in God.

Pastor Don’s message today was titled What the World Needs Now … and his scripture was:

Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Don noted that this scripture is similar to that found in 1 Corinthians 13, also written by Paul.  Pastor Don started the sermon by reminding us of the song produced in 1965 and sung by Jackie DeShannon titled What the World Needs Now Is Love.  Don noted that we should sing this song all year long, but it is exemplified at Christmas time.  Here are some of the words from this song:

What the world needs now, Is love, sweet love,
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.
What the world needs now, Is love, sweet love,
No, not just for some but for everyone.

Lord, we don’t need another mountain,
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb,
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross,
Enough to last ’til the end of time.

Lord, we don’t need another meadow,
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow,
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine,
Oh listen Lord, if you want to know…oh…

What the world needs now, Is love, sweet love.

Don commented that love is an action verb rather than an adjective.  From love comes joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Other people will see all of these attributes in us as we live a life full of love, and not just love for some, but true love should be for all as Jackie DeShannon sang. 

I also took two pictures at church today so you could see how beautiful it looks decorated for Christmas.  I will have to send that to you in a separate email that will follow shortly.

I wish you all a most blessed week preparing for Christmas and hope to see you at our Christmas Eve service next Saturday at 5 PM.

Ron