These Are The Days

April 22, 2026

Leadership Notes

     What a beautiful week it is. Our God is so, so good {to paraphrase a song by Phil Wickham}. Some of us already have a couple of lawn mowings in. Many of us are thinking about buying flowers and shrubs, and where we want to put them. It’s nice to be in that season where you don’t have to run A/C or heat. These are the days…

     We are reminded of Psalm 95:1-5:

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;    

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;    

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the Lord is a great God,    

and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;    

the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,    

and his hands formed the dry land.

     How beautiful, blessed, and affirming is that? Here’s a life tip {don’t say

you got it from me}:

EVERY NOW AND THEN, SPEND TIME THINKING OF NOTHING

EXCEPT HOW BEAUTIFUL LIFE IS!

Building on that, Isaiah 40:6-8 reminds us:

A voice says, “Cry!”    

And I said, “What shall I cry?”

All flesh is grass,    

and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades    

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;    

surely the people are grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades,    

but the word of our God will stand forever.

     While totally undeserving and unworthy, God richly blesses us with so many beautiful things. One that immediately comes to mind is the lovely collection of people here at Covenant Church who want to grow in our love for Jesus, love for each other, and love for our community. Shane Pruitt, whose study guide my Sunday School class has been using, recently wrote:

“My first pastor used to say, ‘If you ever find a perfect church, don’t join it

because you’ll be the one to mess it up.’ Church isn’t perfect,

because people aren’t perfect. The church is the perfect place for imperfect people

to worship the perfect Savior!”

     Related to that, now that school is winding down, and other things are changing, my schedule, too, is changing. What that means is I will have more time to be out and about. If anyone would like to pop into church, or meet someplace for coffee or a cold beverage, I would love to have whatever conversation you would like to have. My office door is always open. As is my schedule for the next few months, beginning the third week of May. I am always contactable.

     Finally, here’s the best summary of what resonates with and motivates us here in our little corner of God’s big, beautiful world:

Society is broken because families are broken.

Families are broken because people are broken.

People are broken because their hearts are dead.

What makes a dead heart alive?

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

-Scott Roberts

     With Much Love and Affection, Richard