Dear Friends in Christ,

Likely, you’re aware of the diversity of Christianity in our nation.  Perhaps, you’re aware of where we as a progressive Congregational, United Church of Christ congregation sit along its spectrum.  But are you aware of something more fundamental, namely that we are a covenanting rather than a creedal body? (Article II, Section 4 of our by-laws)

What does this mean?  It means that we gather with an understanding that while we hold core beliefs in common that permit us to gather, worship, and serve God together, we also make allowance for our holding of our own personal beliefs – which may differ.  This means that what we don’t, like “creedal churches,” have any faith statement to which we require adherence and use as a test to determine if someone should or shouldn’t be a member of Christ’s Church.  

Instead, churches in our heritage make covenants, generally short purpose statements that unite us before God and with one another.  This includes statements like this old 1629 Salem(MA!) Church covenant:  We covenant with the Lord and one with another; and do bind our selves in the presence of God, to walk together in all his waies, according as he is pleased to reveale himselfe unto us in his Blessed word of truth. And, it includes newer statements like this succinct covenant of a church I served in the 1980’s: “In the love of truth and the Spirit of Jesus, we unite for the worship and service of God.”

Typically covenants are “owned” by existing members and newcomers whenever the latter join the church.  But, I wonder what your experience has been here with respect to this common ritual practice. Why?  Because your covenant is a three-part expression of your “basis” for being together that consists of 17 bullet points and is more verbose than a simple one-sentence declaration of agreement regarding your purpose.  

So, as your interim pastor, I wonder if you might benefit from updating your covenant.  I encourage you to review it, and see what you think.  Ask yourself if your covenant could be a more meaningful and useful statement if you could easily remember and share it by heart with one another – as well as with others – when it’s appropriate or helpful to do so.  

Whatever you think, we’ll be reflecting on our heritage and the stewardship of covenanting during our sermon time this upcoming Sunday.  I look forward to worshiping with you, especially after having been away on vacation.

Blessings of Unity in Christ for Divine Purposes, Pastor Ed

From Article II of our church’s by-laws…

Section 4 – COVENANT

The basis of our fellowship is expressed in the following Covenant:

Love God with all our heart, strength, soul and mind by:

• Praying regularly, alone and together, in thankfulness and in times when we need help in our lives
• Seeking our individual and collective relationship with God, and God’s purpose for us as we interpret the scripture in light of that relationship
• Living our daily lives as Jesus did, demonstrating Christian behavior and commitment to our church by our Christian example
• Listening to God’s answers to our requests through prayer, worship and in the words and lives of others

Love our neighbors as ourselves by:

• Realizing that everyone makes mistakes
• Accepting each other with all our differences and faults
• Respecting each other, especially in time of disagreement or conflict
• Accepting that forgiveness is an imperative for Christian life; rebuilding trust can be a long process
• Supporting each other by being honest, caring  and compassionate
• Holding each other accountable to our actions
• Listening to each other without judgment and remaining open
• Speaking respectfully to each other, choosing all our words carefully without intimidation but speaking the truth in love

Love and foster our Christian community by:

• Endeavoring to live our faith both inside and outside our doors
• Supporting our Church pastors, staff, and leaders so that their efforts can be most productive for the church
• Trying to discover what is best for our church as a whole, not what may be best for the individual or for some small group in Church
• Seeking to stay in community with each other even during difficult events and discussions
• Listening and respecting one another’s opinions when making decisions, but once voted upon, the course of actions becomes the whole church’s decision, requiring the full support of the community
• Being open to discovering God’s vision for our role and new faith traditions in our community