Covenant Church
an ecumenical liberal baptist congregation
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​A Service of Worship for
Children & Youth Sunday
October 18, 2020

Picture
We light the Christ candle this morning in honor of Mary Lee Burrus. Mary Lee died on Tuesday. She and husband Sidney joined Covenant shortly after our founding. She was an integral part of our church life and will be deeply missed.



Fixed heart
Look
See hearts
Who are good 
Who are bad,
treats with goodness

Because
Truth
Lives in harmony with Heaven
Sees everything
Loves everyone
All people 
Turned toward
​
Alexa Daggett (2016)
Picture

Worship Order
Worship notes are included at the bottom of this page and in the Worship Order located at the link below.
With this link you can make a donation to Covenant through PayPal or a credit card. 
Adult Education - TODAY,  9AM
Travis Hicks and Ginger Clarkson have been conducting meditation sessions as a team at Covenant (pre-COVID era) and now virtually for the past year.  This Sunday in Adult Education Travis will discuss the practice of insight or vipassana meditation. We will cover the practicalities of the practice, its benefits and its historical origins. There will be an opportunity and invitation to try a guided meditation.  In this time filled with concerns about health and the upcoming election, bathing ourselves in meditation may be one of the healthiest things we can do!  Please join us!   
​Zoom link is available on the Online Gatherings page on our website: https://www.covenanthouston.org/covenant-gatherings.html

Full worship service video:
https://youtu.be/OFjWV6jTL1k

COFFEE TIME Gathering on Zoom
Today, 11AM

We will begin as a large group and discuss the elements of worship we find particularly meaningful and then transition into “rooms" for coffee time. 
​
Log in details on the Online Gatherings page. 

Prelude
“Gamer Medley " Owen S., piano.

​Call to Worship
"Give us the passion to be for ourselves.
Give us the compassion not to be for ourselves only."

Opening Sentences
Welcome to this place of possibility!
This is love’s hearth, the home of hope,
a refuge for minds in search of truth unfolding,
ever beautiful, ever strange.

Here, compassion is our shelter,
freedom, our protection from the storms
of bigotry and hate.
In this place, may we find comfort and courage.
Here may our sight become vision to see the unseen,
​to glimpse the good that is yet to be.

​Scripture Lesson: Luke 15:11-32

​Time for Children - Part 1
Today's scripture reading, acted out by children. This video was used or day one of Compassion Camp.

​Time for Children - Part 2
Covenant's youth talk about caring for ourselves and what brings us joy. It's okay to laugh out loud!

Confession
Unison Confession
May unity and peace live within us.
May wholeness and joy touch our hearts.
May kindness and compassion fill our universe
     and reverence fill our days.
May we see the light that shines in all.

​
Music
"Be Thou My Vision" Sterling A., clarinet.

​Proclamation
Speaking order: Alaia, Nora, Hannah
Prayer

Welcoming One,
Your warm, wide arms are always open, 
drawing us into your heart full of love.
Make our arms your own, 
​helping us see and welcome with compassion all those we meet.
 
Dear Jesus,
Your compassion always looked like courage. Strengthen our hearts with your bravery as we risk, reach out, and lift up
our siblings near and far.
Help us keep our eyes on you.
 
Gentle One,
Thank you for your Spirit within us
who guides, encourages, and strengthens us. 
Help us see ourselves through your eyes - 
with love, kindness, and deep joy.
May we love our bodies, treasure our hearts, 
​and celebrate our spirits.
 
Loving Spirit,
You are active and alive, always moving and stirring within and around us! 
​Please be an encouraging wind at our backs, giving us
open minds and soft hearts to follow where you lead.
Make us flexible and present in each moment that we might embrace compassion by letting go of what we expected.
 
Joyful Spirit,
Your loving hands are always creating freedom, release, and fresh starts! 
​Help us do the same today by caring for all living things
with gentleness and care.
Open us to humbly receive that same care ourselves.
Make our hearts smile and our actions sing
with your promise of abundance toward the whole world.
Amen.


​- Illustrated Ministry Compassion Camp 
​​
​Invitation 

​Call to Stewardship
For more information on the Stewardship campaign and the 2021 operating budget you can see our Treasurer’s video at the bottom of this worship page.
​​
​Prayer of Dedication 
Thank you for friends.
Thank you for video games to cheer up friends who are hurt.
Help us to be more creative helpers.
When someone falls down and is bleeding,
we want to be helpers.
To help we want to be brave. 
​Being brave is a way to help.
We want to help each other. 
When someone falls on a scooter we want to help.
If friends are sad we want to cheer them up.
Thank you for bandaids and medical care for sick.  
Thank you for doctors.  
Thank you for friends.
Amen

​Doxology

​Affirmation of Faith
​We will need compassion to...
         Be kind to people
         To be happy
         Be brave and welcoming
         Because we just need it!
I will remember to show compassion even when…
         We are stuck at home
         They say they don’t want to be your friend anymore
         When I love on my poodle
         The customer is wrong
         They won’t return the favor.


Benediction

Postlude
“Strength Courage and Wisdom” by India.Arie.
From the Compassion Camp playlist from Illustrated Ministry.

Worship Notes

The worship leaders are the children and youth of Covenant​. (Sebastian A., Sterling A., Nora B., Lucas C., Sebastian C., Hannah F., Isaac F., Alaia G. Townes K.-R., Julian L., Rosalie L., Soren L., Louis M., Vee N., Grayson S., Jacob S.-K., Owen S.)

The Prelude is "Gamer Medley" Owen S. on piano.

The Call to Worship is by Jay Leech and is read by Rosalie L.

Jacob S.-K. reads the scripture. 

Isaac F. leads Time for Children.

"Be Thou My Vision" to the tune Slane, Sterling A. on clarinet.

​The Proclamation is given by Covenant's 5th graders: Nora B., Hannah F., and Alaia G.

The Opening Sentences are by Marianne Hachten Cotter in Rejoice Together: Prayers, Meditations, and Other Readings for Family, Individual, and Small Group Worship, edited by Helen Pickett; read by Louis M.

The Confession is given by Lucas C.

The Unison Confession is by Marianne Hachten Cotter in Rejoice Together: Prayers, Meditations, and Other Readings for Family, Individual, and Small Group Worship, edited by Helen Pickett; read by Sebastian C.

The words of assurance were written by the children and youth of Covenant October, 2020 (Nora B., Vee N., Isaac and Hannah F., Owen and Grayson S., Lucas and Sebastian C.); read by Sebastian C.


The Prayer is from Illustrated Ministry's Compassion Camp curriculum from 2020. It is read by Lucas C., Julian L., Soren L., Louis M., and Owen S.

The Invitation was written by Covenant children in 2013 and Grayson S. In 2020; read by Owen and Grayson S.

Call to Stewardship is given by Soren L.

The Prayer of Dedication was written by the children at Camp Community, 2016; read by Sebastian A.

​The Affirmation of Faith was written by the children and youth of Covenant October, 2020 (Nora B., Vee N., Isaac and Hannah F., Owen and Grayson S., Lucas and Sebastian C.); read by Townes K.-R.


The Benediction is given by Vee N.

The Postlude is “Strength Courage and Wisdom” by India.Arie. From Compassion Camp playlist from Illustrated Ministry. Used on Day 2 of camp focusing on bravery.

The picture in the photo at the top of the page was drawn by the Longoria family.

Sunday schedule for today: 
9:00 - Adult Education with Zoom
10:00 - Worship via videos on the Worship Page
11:00 - Transition from worship to coffee time with Zoom

Stewardship Kickoff Video - Kristy Kyle, Treasurer
Copyright (c) 2020, Covenant Church
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Covenant Church
4949 Caroline St., Houston, TX 77004
office@covenanthouston.org
713-668-8830
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