I read over our ‘Church Covenant’ again today. It hangs in the hallway right where the old & new sections of our building come together. It hangs there – where the new – and the old – come together. The glass covering the Covenant is cracked. Someone has made an attempt to doctor it and smoothen the sharp edges with a few strips of scotch tape. There are a lot of challenging concepts to chew on in those inch-high letters.
“…we…most solemnly & joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.”
Is it just me? Or does it seem like we’ve got the solemn part down but neglect the joyful part at times? When I step into the life of Jesus, I see a big, welcoming smile on his face. I smell life. I taste joy. I feel love. I hear laughter seamlessly woven into his words of infinite truth. Joyfully.
“…to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger…”
Is it just me? Or does it seem like we, far too easily, stumble into dry seasons where we forget this commitment? All it takes is one sharp tongue, one quick word, one tired moment, one untethered opinion and an inferno is unleashed in the forest. (See James 3:5) Living water can put it out.
“…to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour…”
Zealous. Is it just me? Or does that word have power behind it? Zealous. Say it out loud. It sounds strong, immediate, sure, unstoppable. Zealous.
“…to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation & mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay…”
Is it just me? Or is there great wisdom in rinsing the dishes as soon as you get done eating? Otherwise, the food gets dried & caked on and it takes a whole lot more scraping & scrubbing to get them clean again.
“We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love…”
Is it just me? Or does it seem like the spirit of this line is to take care of one another? It seems that our ‘watching’ should take place more in the role of a caregiver or a close, loving friend than in the role of a babysitter or a guarddog. And it ought to be done in brotherly love. Love.
There are some good biblical precepts behind that broken glass in the hallway. Those words give a strong sense of the reason that we exist as a body. I can see the wisdom in most of what is recorded there in the hallway - where the old – the new - come together. I hear echoes of Jesus’ all-knowing voice. Does anyone else hear it? Or is it just me?
“…we…most solemnly & joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.”
Is it just me? Or does it seem like we’ve got the solemn part down but neglect the joyful part at times? When I step into the life of Jesus, I see a big, welcoming smile on his face. I smell life. I taste joy. I feel love. I hear laughter seamlessly woven into his words of infinite truth. Joyfully.
“…to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger…”
Is it just me? Or does it seem like we, far too easily, stumble into dry seasons where we forget this commitment? All it takes is one sharp tongue, one quick word, one tired moment, one untethered opinion and an inferno is unleashed in the forest. (See James 3:5) Living water can put it out.
“…to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour…”
Zealous. Is it just me? Or does that word have power behind it? Zealous. Say it out loud. It sounds strong, immediate, sure, unstoppable. Zealous.
“…to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation & mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay…”
Is it just me? Or is there great wisdom in rinsing the dishes as soon as you get done eating? Otherwise, the food gets dried & caked on and it takes a whole lot more scraping & scrubbing to get them clean again.
“We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love…”
Is it just me? Or does it seem like the spirit of this line is to take care of one another? It seems that our ‘watching’ should take place more in the role of a caregiver or a close, loving friend than in the role of a babysitter or a guarddog. And it ought to be done in brotherly love. Love.
There are some good biblical precepts behind that broken glass in the hallway. Those words give a strong sense of the reason that we exist as a body. I can see the wisdom in most of what is recorded there in the hallway - where the old – the new - come together. I hear echoes of Jesus’ all-knowing voice. Does anyone else hear it? Or is it just me?
