Archive for October, 2009

Dear sisters and brothers at Holy Covenant,

This coming Sunday is All Saints Day, when we recognize that we are part of the on-going communion of the saints. In the morning, we’ll have our annual Folk and Bluegrass Services, with home-y and plaintive music, and the naming of those who have died. In the evening, we’ll have a contemplative Service of Remembrance, followed by an autumnal potluck. Wait — is this day a party or a funeral? Well, it’s a little bit of both: we will mourn those who have gone before us and celebrate gratefully what they’ve given to us.

In the United Methodist tradition, the saints are the ones who have gone before us in the faith, and we ourselves are the saints, as people who are witnesses to the Gospel. If the word “saint” trips you up – as it did me for a long time – think of the way the apostle Paul started his letters, the way he might’ve written to us at Holy Covenant:

“To the church of God that is in Chicago, to those who are called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of Jesus, grace to you, and peace!” (See Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 1)

For Paul, the word that we translate “saints” was “holy ones.” We are indeed called to be holy and to live in the faith that we are being made holy by God’s Spirit. So we will be remembering saints that we have read about in Scripture and those who we’ve known, as well as acknowledging our place on the long roster of holy ones.

Hands are needed on Sunday: after the 11:15 service, we’ll prepare the sanctuary for the evening, and get ready for the meal afterwards. Of course, we could also use a few folks to wash soup bowls at the end of the evening. In addition, we need soup-makers and bread-bakers (or, let’s face it: bread-buyers!). Interested? Contact Rebecca Anderson.

Please join us for this day of remembering and celebrating: we’ll get a sense of the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us, unseen, whispering of the faith they have known, and the joy we will all know together.

Peace and grace to you,
Rebecca Anderson
Minister of Small Groups

“Let Them Praise the Name of the Lord”
Rev. Kate Hurst Floyd, Holy Covenant UMC
October 25, 2009 for Blessing of the Animals
Psalm 148

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What do you hear today?

We certainly hear the familiar sounds of Sunday morning worship: the sounds of the keyboard and our voices lifted in song, the sounds of the children laughing and talking during TFYC, the sounds of prayer, both private and communal, sounds of scripture…we’ll hear the doxology after the sermon. And, of course, we hear the train, our constant companion in this space (still not quite used to speaking over it/with it, but I’m trying…), add in the sounds of the radiators now that it’s cold outside.

We also today hear unfamiliar sounds, sounds that normally fill our houses and dog parks and yards, but that we’re not used to hearing at church: barking and chirping and meowing. The sound of paws crawling and slipping along the wood floors, of people trying to calm their animals. It’s a noisy day here at Holy Covenant, filled with all kinds of sounds to awaken our senses. (more…)

Dear Holy Covenant Family,

Dogs and lizards and cats,
Birds and hamsters and rats,
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

This Sunday morning is our annual “Blessing of the Animals” service, where God’s creatures, human and animal, will fill our sanctuary with glorious sounds of praise. There won’t actually be lions and tigers and bears, but we will worship side by side with our beloved pets and the pets of our brothers and sisters at HC. We will have a wonderful and wild and wooly time together, indeed. But, we also include animals as part of our worship service because celebrating pets, honoring all of God’s creation, helps us draw nearer to the divine.

Congregations all over the world observe the Blessing of the Animals, usually during this month, because Oct. 4th is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis lived in Italy in the 12th and 13th centuries, and is most famous for his love of animals; he’s often depicted in garden statues with birds on his shoulders and bunnies at his feet. But his love for animals wasn’t a sentimental affection; he cared for creation out of a deep conviction to share God’s love with the whole world. In his time, a world of violence and wars, animals were treated cruelly. He both recognized the call to care for the least of these and the face of God that resides in all of creation. St. Francis continues to be a model of love for Christians, as these ancient words of his “Canticle of All Creatures” inspire us today:

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather’s moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,
Mother Earth who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Praised be You my Lord through those who grant pardon
for love of You and bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give thanks,
And serve God with great humility.

Join us on Sunday morning with your pets. If, however, you are allergic or not comfortable around animals, you can still come to church! Join us at our 7pm, animal-free service, for Eucharist, contemplation, and singing.

Grace and Peace,
Kate

Dear Holy Covenant Family,

In my short time with this community, you have overwhelmed me with your generosity. Personally, you have welcomed me with open hearts, shared your homes and meals, laughter and tears, prepared the parsonage, given me the gift of your stories, and even provided tips on how to stay warm. In the life of this church, you give generously to one another when someone is sick, pray for those who are hurting, lead in worship, teach and play with our children, and lead and participate in small groups. Outside these walls, you give generously through Dignity Diner, LAC, witnessing at the Pride parade, doing mission on our local beaches and in flood-ravaged Iowa. Through your generosity, this church changes lives, thanks be to God! I’m grateful each and every day to be a part of this community.

Your generosity as a faith community reflects your commitment to God, for we know that “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above…” (James 1:17)

This week, we begin our Stewardship season at Holy Covenant, “Giving Generously, Changing Lives”. Did you know that 100% of our budget comes from the financial gifts of our congregation? This is the time of the year when we consider what it means to be financial stewards of our gifts and make generous pledges to continue the life-changing ministry of the church. You’ll be receiving a letter in the next week with more information and a pledge card. In worship over the next month, you’ll be hearing from Holy Covenanters about why they give. And on Sunday Nov. 8th and 15th, we will all bring our pledge cards to the altar as a celebration of giving of ourselves to God through this church.

Your generosity enables our ministry together and is the means by which we are able to seek justice and affect so many lives. The way we give reflects our faith, because by giving we embody our belief in a God who calls us to share with others, seek justice for all, and transform lives.

As we begin this time of stewardship, please be in prayer for our church and for the ways you are called to give to its ministries. If you’ve pledged before, please prayerfully consider stepping up your pledge for the coming year. If you’ve never pledged, please prayerfully consider making a pledge towards the life-changing ministries of this church. Your pledge to Holy Covenant for 2010 will ensure that we can continue to transform lives through seeking God, loving ALL people, and changing the world.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me or Linda Effinger Quinde, Stewardship Chair.

Grace and Peace,
Kate

This Sunday, we will celebrate Children’s Sabbath at Holy Covenant with a guest preacher, Gennifer Benjamin Brooks. This will be a Sunday when the children are more involved with the leadership of the morning services and those who are in 3rd grade (or older if they are new to Holy Covenant) will receive a copy of the NRSV translation of the the Bible. However, all the children will be recognized that morning and will receive a gift of love from Holy Covenant UMC.

Gennifer Benjamin Brooks is the Styberg Associate Professor of Homiletics and Director of the Styberg Preaching Institute at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She is an ordained elder and full clergy member of the New York Conference of the United Methodist Church. Before coming to the seminary, she was the pastor of Bethany United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, New York for eight years, having previously served in two cross-racial appointments in the New York Conference. She was also the Assistant Dean of New Brunswick Theological Seminary for four years.

Gennifer holds a Bachelor of Business, cum laude and a Master of Business Administration from Pace University, a Master of Divinity, summa cum laude, and a Doctor of Ministry from New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and a Master of Philosophy and a Doctor of Philosophy in Liturgical Studies from Drew University.

Gennifer is a Harry Hoosier member and has served at the local, jurisdictional and national levels of Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR). She is a founding member of Black Clergywomen of the United Methodist Church (BCWUMC).

For more information about the Children’s Sabbath, contact Rev. Kate Hurst Floyd.

American Idols
Rev. Kate Hurst Floyd
Holy Covenant UMC, October 11, 2009
Mark 10:17-31

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We make choices each and every day:
Simple, daily, choices, about what we eat for breakfast, whether we walk or take the El or our cars to get to church, what we decide to wear, who we’ll sit next to when we enter the sanctuary.

And we make big choices too:
Important contracts at work, people today chose to run the marathon, which involved many choices each and every day to train and rest and eat right. Whether to get married or have kids, what to do with ourselves when we grow up, to go back to school or move closer to home. (more…)

Dear Holy Covenant Family,

Recently, I’ve had many people ask me about membership in the church: What does it mean to be a member of Holy Covenant? Why should I join? How do I join? What are the vows? My guess is many of you may be wondering the same thing.

The book of Acts, which comes immediately after the Gospels, chronicles the earliest community of those who were trying to follow Jesus. They ask similar questions about community: Who is welcome? How are we in relationship with each other? How do we organize ourselves as a family? In the 2nd chapter of Acts these early followers figure out what it means to be the church with one another. It concludes this way:
43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds* to all, as any had need. 46Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home* and ate their food with glad and generous* hearts, 47praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Don’t worry-membership at Holy Covenant doesn’t mean that you sell all your goods or that we all move in together! But, there is truth, beauty, and wisdom in the early church, which helps us today organize ourselves as followers of Jesus. When people join Holy Covenant, they participate in a ritual during worship and vow to support the church with their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Anyone who joins a United Methodist Church makes these same vows. The foundation of these vows, of what it means to live in Christian community, are found in this passage from Acts: The first Christians prayed by praising God in all they do, just as we vow to pray for and with this community and those who are hurting all over the world; those in Acts participated with their presence, by coming to the temple each and every day, just as we vow to make our presence known in worship, as often as we can; they offered their gifts, sharing what they owned for the common good of all those in their midst, just as we offer our gifts so that the ministry of Holy Covenant can thrive and grow; they served one another by sharing a common meal, just as we vow to be in service through Dignity Diner, the Green Team, Mission Projects, and LAC; they witnessed to others about the joys of faith, because many joined them and added to their numbers, just as we vow to witness by telling our story of how Holy Covenant has made a difference in our lives.

Anyone, member and non-member, can participate fully in the life of the church; membership doesn’t open up special privileges. Membership does, however, encourage us to deepen our level of commitment, so that we are in a mutual covenant with this community and vow before God and one another to live out our life together as people of faith. If you are interested in learning more, you can read our new membership document.

As always, I’m open to conversation, questions, and disagreements; don’t hesitate to be in touch. We are all privileged to be part of this unique community that lives out love in relationship with one another. Thanks be to God!

Grace and Peace,
Kate

Morning Services – Folk/Bluegrass All Saints at 9:30am and 11:15am
Join us for our Folk/Bluegrass All Saints on Nov. 1 when we remember the great cloud of witnesses as we celebrate their lives through song, prayer, and candlelight. During the service, we will read the names of saints who have gone before us and influenced those in our congregation. If you would like to add saints from your life to the list to be read, please e-mail their names to office@holycovenantumc.org by Oct. 28. Together, we’ll remember that unbroken circle of saints, through God who connects us all.

Evening Service – A Service of Remembering at 7pm
Come at 7 pm for a contemplative, Taize-style service, with stories of saints we’ve known or read about, haunting music, and the opportunity to remember those we’ve mourned. Bring photos of those you’ve lost to share.

Autumn Soup and Bread Social
Stay after the evening service for an Autumn Soup and Bread Social. We’ll hunker down in the sanctuary to share a meal and fellowship, participating in the ongoing and everlasting communion of the saints.

Breaking Bread, Making Love
Holy Covenant UMC, October 4, 2009 for “U2 Eucharist”
Rev. Kate Floyd
Luke 24:1-2, 13-23, 28-35

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Imagine with me that you’re on a walk.  It’s been a long day, your feet are sore, but you keep them going, one in front of the other.  You’re eager to get out of those work clothes and put on something more comfortable. For the first time you notice the crisp fall breeze and wrap your coat a little more tightly around your body, trying to fend off the chill. As you pass the crowded storefronts, with friends gathered together for dinner, you feel a twinge of loneliness for someone that you miss deeply. Your mind wanders to memories of good times together and you feel the loss in the pit of your stomach. You wind up missing your turn and have to find a different route home, passing unfamiliar houses, yards filled with children’s toys and dogs barking.  It’s a day like any other day, and you do what you do each do, putting one foot in front of the other, in hopes of making it home. (more…)

Friday, November 6, 6pm-9pm
Presented by the MGR Foundation & Dignity Diner
Every Tuesday evening at 6pm, Chicago’s homeless and hungry are invited to be our guests for a sit-down vegetarian dinner at Holy Covenant.  Following the meal, Dignity Diner patrons and volunteers connect weekly with a variety of activities.  We hope you will join us on Friday, November 6, for our 3rd Art Opening entitled “At 7 O’Clock We ART”.  View the work of our artists as they reveal their unique expressions on identity and Chicago life.

View the poster.