Thoughts from here and there…Covenant
A Church Covenant is vital for the understanding of our Christian community as a Congregational Christian Church.
I recently read that “Karl Barth once compared the creeds and confessions of the church to the guardrails that border the narrow roads of the Swiss Alps. Only a fool with suicidal tendencies would want to drive across the Alps without the guardrails. But it would be equally foolish to mistake the guardrails for the road; when we start driving on the rails, disaster is imminent.
In writing this article Timothy George went on to reflect that “to push the analogy further, Jesus Christ is the Road, and the Bible, as interpreted by a covenanted congregation of baptized believers in continuity with the apostolic witness, is the light by which we are able to see clearly both the road on which we travel and the guardrails that protect us from dangerous deviations.”
Christ is the Road. We have no difficulty in accepting this conclusion. The Bible is the is the source of light as it is understood within the context of a “covenanted community.” If the church has no covenant it cannot be a covenanted community.
To review the question “What is the nature and importance of a covenant,” I offer you some quotations that I found on the Internet. I apologize to the author. I have misplaced the reference. The words are not mine, but the intent is mine.
“A covenant is simply a solemn promise by which people commit themselves to common action. The most important element in the life of any church is commitment. Christians must be able to count on one another, the way family members depend on each other. This should go without saying; it is part of being a true Christian.
“The raging spirit of independence in America has led many to disregard fundamental life commitments: to spouses, to children, and (for believers) to the body of Christ. We Christians flit about from church to church, shopping for a perfection we never find. The large number of churches in any community makes it easy to change churches like we change seasonal wardrobes. Most of us are not used to any real commitment to a local church.
“A church covenant not only serves as a focal point for mutual commitment, it also clarifies a common understanding of what the church is and what exactly we are committed to do together. This is also an essential thing for a church since so few Christians really understand the Bible’s teaching about the nature and functions of a local assembly. The church covenant can serve to identify the essential points of agreement which can then serve as a positive focus for the group. The non-essential points of disagreement can be handled with charity and patience over time without undermining the unity of the body.”
The Ozaukee Congregational Church Covenant to which all members agree, accept and implement:
“We covenant together of our own free will, to love God and to enjoy God forever, to walk in God’s ways, known and to be made known, to study the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, to live and work together in unity and peace, and to care for those whom God has given us to love.”