CMF Covenant reflection #3

I hear that the campout weekend went well and that the weather cooperated.  Great to hear.  Abbie and I had the chance to rest and be together at home over the weekend and through Monday.  The help with childcare and meals has been a blessing.  Physically Abbie is doing quite well, although we are both rather emotionally exhausted.

We look forward to being back together with you all this Sunday as we celebrate Pentecost.  During this time we have been ever more mindful of the meaning of being a covenanted community, committed to one another’s well-being.

Here is the remaining third of the covenant and some brief reflections:

 

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

n  Nurture all who are present in our community;

n  Participate actively in the life of the congregation and the denomination; and

n  Reach out to others in service and invitation to faith.

 

As Mennonites we are committed to bringing peace, justice, reconciliation and the Good News to each other and to the world around us.

 

“Nurture all who are present in our community;”  These points are intentionally written to move from the inward to the outward.  Nurture happens within.  This sounds to me like a motherly/grandmotherly quality and all of us need nurture in some way.

 

“Participate actively in the life of the congregation and the denomination;”  Membership at CMF means that you are welcomed and encouraged to actively participate, as you are able.  This time is one where we are especially actively participating in the life of the denomination.  This will be evident at the Columbus convention.  Sharing our gifts with, and helping shape the character of the denomination is a significant part of CMF’s mission these days.

 

“Reach out to others in service and invitation to faith.”  Here is the ending with the outward focus.  Healthy life always moves out from itself, seeking to widen the circle, welcoming, inviting others into what we have found to be good.

 

“As Mennonites we are committed to bringing peace, justice, reconciliation and the Good New to each other and to the world around us.”  The Apostle Paul saw his work as a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5) and this is a good summary word for what it is we are doing.  Through us God continues to carry out the ministry of reconciliation, mending the fabric of the world.