CMF covenant reflection #2

In a week and a half we will have our Pentecost celebration, take communion together, and have the annual signing of the covenant for those who wish to covenant with the congregation for the coming year.  Here is the middle portion of our covenant, including the first three of six bullet points, followed by brief meditations of its components:

As a Christian community rooted in Anabaptist principles, we worship God as we:

-  Experience the power, grace, and love of God;

-  Discern and share our gifts and resources;

-  Prepare and equip each other to live Christ-like lives…..

“As a Christian community rooted in Anabaptist principles, we worship God as we:”  It was an intentional move on the part of those who rewrote the covenant three years ago to position all of the bullet point items under the banner of worship of God.  We believe that our relationship with God and our relationships with each other are linked in ways that cannot be separated.  Recent lectionary readings from 1 John repeat this often: “The commandment we have is this: those who love God must love their brothers and their sisters also.”  (1 John 4:21)  Being Christians who identify with a particular story and stream of spirituality within the wide Christian narrative, the Anabaptist story, roots us in a rich tradition of those who have sought to love in this holistic manner.

“Experience the power, grace, and love of God;”  Grace is a beautiful thing.  It’s there before our efforts, before our striving, before any actions we would take or thoughts we would have.  Grace undergirds all we do.  It is pure gift offered repeatedly.  Grace empowers us and frees us to become more fully alive, more fully human.

“Discern and share our gifts and resources;”  Two verbs and two nouns shape this statement.  Discernment happens in community.  We learn about ourselves, learn about God in us, and teach each other the ways we see Christ evident in the lives of each other.  Once the discoveries of discernment are happening, there is a flow that happens outward.  The treasures that are found are shared.  All people have gifts, and each gift contributes to the life of the whole.  We value each person’s gifts and encourage people to experiment in areas where they may have gifts but do not yet know it.  CMF as a whole has been blessed with many resources.  Generosity of resources is a gift I see present in CMF.

“Prepare and equip each other to live Christ-like lives;”  It’s been said that a worship hour is where we practice being Christians so then we can be Christians the rest of the week.  In worship, in our Christian education, and in our other gatherings, we are preparing and equipping each other – learning, practicing, growing.  The goal is that our lives be shaped into the image of Christ.