One of the reasons I accepted the call to the ministry here at UNMC is the church’s Congregational Covenant, a copy of which is enclosed with this Anchor.
The drafting and adoption of the Covenant was a church-wide effort, facilitated by the Committee on Ministry. It provides guidelines for the members of the congregation to be in healthy and affirming relationships with each other. It describes our commitment to each other, to the congregation, and to the greater community.
Covenantal relationships are deeply rooted in humankind’s story. Yahweh made unconditional and conditional covenants with the Israelites. The unconditional covenant was to never again destroy the earth with water. The conditional one was to take care of them as long as they followed Mosaic Law.
The earliest recorded covenants are the suzerain covenants of antiquity. These covenants established the relationships between a conquering ruler and the kings of conquered lands. There was a formula for these covenants.
First there is a section of adorations, in which both entities list the “admirable” qualities of the other. It is intended to create a foundation for mutual respect. Second, there is a section of obligations, in which it is clear what is expected of each party during the term of the covenant. Last, there is a section of resolutions, which describes how grievances are to be addressed when obligations are not met.
While our Covenant doesn’t have these three historical sections, it does call us to the intentionality of all three themes. I paraphrase:
Adorations: Assume the good intentions of others and embrace our differences.
Obligations: Answer the call to serve, create opportunities to share, promote acceptance of our differences, adhere to our core traditions, strive for inclusiveness, and remain open to the possibilities that change presents.
Resolutions: Confront each other directly and respectfully in times of conflict and act in good faith.
There are several reasons why I bring the Covenant to our attention, including my own inability to always live out the terms of our Covenant as fully as I would like. I have not always followed the preferred process for achieving a solution to a problem that church committees should be solving. Since I tend to be a “full-steam ahead” kind of individual, it has been a challenge for me to wait for committee decisions to resolve pending issues. It is something I have to learn to do, and I am trying. I think that my appropriate role is to encourage and facilitate congregational processes, rather than trying to “solve” the church’s issues by myself. With our traditional model of congregational governance, the processes and systems we put in place today will help carry and sustain the congregation into the future.
Another reason to bring up our Covenant is to remind all of us that we are part of a religious community that finds its meaning in the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. By that ministry, we are called to be part of a positive and affirming part of this religious community and the world. And the Covenant provides an outline of expectations and behaviors that serve as a guide to us in our relationships with each other and the broader community.
We need to keep the Covenant in front of us at all times, during committee meetings, religious education, social activities, and in our conversations with one another. And when we fail to live up to our Covenant perfectly, we have to remember what the last paragraph says:
As we make this commitment in community, we recognize in our humanity that we will at times fall short of our aspirations, but we will always seek to reflect God’s love by forgiving ourselves and each other.
As we begin this new church year, know that as long as we love each other and work to create a loving, joy-filled congregation that serves each other and the broader community; all will be as Julian of Norwich wrote: “… all will be well, and all matter of things will be well....”
See you in church,
Pastor Lillie