Love is the spirit of this congregation 
and service its law.
This is our great covenant – 
To dwell together in peace,
To seek the truth in love, 
And to help one another. 

As a congregation, we recite these words every Sunday in affirmation. These words affirm the centrality of Love in our relationships and in our work together. But what do we mean by love? All around us this month we are surrounded by hearts and flowers, the gestures of romantic feeling and friendship. But the love we speak of is more than a feeling, and something deeper that will outlast this month’s sales of chocolates and valentines.

We know from our lives, and from our congregational life, that love takes work. Healthy relationships take dedication and commitment, especially in times of hardship and disagreement. According to the Apostle Paul, in the Book of Corinthians, love is patient and kind (along with many other attributes). These qualities are not always easy. We will annoy one another, and need ways to return to healthy relationship.

One of the tools we have to do the work of love is the covenants that we make with one another. We have covenants in many of our ministry teams, as well as in our small group ministry (Soul Matters) groups. Covenants are promises that we make to one another of the ways we want to be in relationship with one another. When we fall short of our promises, covenants offer us a way to come back into right relationship.

We also have a congregational covenant. I share those words here as a reminder to all of us of the promises we make to one another.

Congregational Covenant

We will strive to:

• Practice deep listening while withholding judgment.
• Communicate openly, honestly, directly and with sensitivity.
• Be kind to one another.
• Support one another through life’s joys and sorrows, and remain open to receiving support.
• Accept and honor each other, even when we have differences.
• Give all we can give joyfully, and acknowledge the giving of others.
• Take responsibility for ourselves and for our actions.
• Seek to understand one another.
• Share, to the best of our ability, the tasks and caretaking necessary to support and maintain our community.

May we do our best to live into these words of covenant- that we may widen the circle of community guided by the spirit of love.

Rev. Terri