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PLENARY I: COVENANTALCOMMUNITY
(30 minutes)
Preparation:
ThefirstplenaryanchorsourunderstandingofcovenantasGod’sdesireandpromisetobe inalovingrelationshipwithhumanity,andalsothecovenantalcommunity,ajourneytowards rightandjustrelationshipswithoneanother.TheplenaryalsoshinesalightonGod’sgrace andplanforourreturntocovenantalcommunitywhencovenantisbroken.
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PLENARY I: COVENANTAL COMMUNITY
LEADER:
AsweengagethestudiesonCovenant,MissionaryConferences,andClimateJustice,we willdiscoverasinglethreadthatrunsthroughallofthem.Thatthreadisrelationships.
Asweexaminethestudies,thestudiesinturnwillexamineus.Theywillaskquestionsofus: ArewelivinginrightrelationshipwithGod?
(Pause.)
Arewelivinginrightrelationshipwithourneighbor,especiallytheleastoftheseamongus?
(Pause.)
Are we living in right relationship with Creation?
(Pause.)
And how far are we willing to go until all Creation is able to join us in this song of praise?
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SONG: “How Great Thou Art” (reprise)
LEADER:
HowgreatThouart!TheTriune,relationalGod,createdaworldwithrelationshipsasitsbasic pattern.TheBibleshowsthatGodisacovenant-makingGod.Tomakeacovenant(likea marriagecovenant)istoenterintoarelationship,tobebondedinmutualcommitment.
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DivinecovenantrevealsGod’sdesireforarelationshipwithhumanity.InourLeader’sguide, elmiraNazombequotesMaharatRoriPickerNeiss,whosuggeststhatbeingincovenant with God is almost an irrational concept, because divine covenant is not a relationship betweenequals.Neisssays,
LEADER:
“Onthemostbasiclevelweseeit[covenant]asbeingtherelationship,arelationshipthat involvesarequirementfrombothparties.…Butthecrucialdifferencewhenwestarttalking aboutareligiouscovenant,werecognizeitassomethingofanabsurdstatementtosaythat wecanbeincovenantwithGod...thereisnowaythattherecanbeequityinthiscovenant... Sowithinthecovenantthereisasuddensenseofgenerosity.
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Thecovenantisnotsomekind ofbusinessdeal.ItisreallyanactofgraciousnessonthepartofGodintheexchange.”
(LivingasaCovenantCommunity—Leader’sGuide,p.45.)
Yes, divine covenant is made possible through God’s abounding grace. In initiating relationships with us, God risks our rejection and unfaithfulness. Our study author, Evy McDonald, writes,
“God cares enough about human beings and the earth to enter into a sacredrelationship andestablishadivinecovenant,notjustoncebuttimeandtimeagain.”
(LivingasaCovenantCommunity,Introduction.)
LEADER:
From Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Moses and Miriam; to the judges, kings, and prophets;fromtheGospelstotheEpistlesandtheearlychurch,weseeinthescripturesa Godwhopursuesrelationshipsandrefusestogiveup,evenwhenweturnasideand walkaway.
(Pause.)
Our study frames God’s covenant activity in three ways:
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(Sentence comes up as it is being spoken; not all at once.)
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•Godasthecovenantmaker,whoinitiatesoutoflovearelationshipwithhumanity;
•Godasthecovenantkeeper,whoneverturnsawayfromthecovenantpeople,no matterhowoftentheystrayfromfaithfulness;
•Godasthecovenantequipper,whoprovidestheguidancethatthecovenant communityneedsinordertoliveasGod’speople[…]
(LivingasaCovenantCommunity—Participant’sGuide,Introduction,p.155.)
(Pause.)
Sistersandbrothers,weareincovenantwithagraciousandlovingGod.Ourlivesarelived
in response to God’s relentless love and grace. As our study indicates:
“OurcovenantagreementwithGodcanbesummarizedaslearningtoloveGodwithallof ourheart,allofoursoul,allofourmind,andallofourstrength.”
(LivingasaCovenantCommunity,p.6.)
And to love our neighbor as we do ourselves.
Our covenant with God and with our neighbor is about how we abide in love... Love that came to dwell with us.
(LeaderorSongLeaderstartssoftlysinging“LoveDivine,AllLovesExcelling”(tothetuneof “Hyfrydol”)acappellaandinvitesalltojoininsinging.)
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SONG: “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” (Sung to the tune in United Methodist Hymnal,
#196)
LEADER:
Abiding in divine love—in the love and compassion of Jesus—is our daily joy and our daily work.
But... what happens when our love fails? What happens when we choose lesser loves or lesser gods? What happens when covenant is broken?
(Pause.)
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TheprophetJeremiahshowsusthepathwayofgrace.InJeremiah31,Godacknowledges brokencovenantandinitiatesaplanforourreturn.WouldyoujoinmeinreadingJeremiah verses31-34?Wecanalternateverses.
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LEADER:
“Behold,thedaysarecoming,”saysYahweh,*“whenIwillestablishanewcovenantwiththe houseofIsraelandthehouseofJudah.”
ALL:
“ItwillnotbelikethecovenantImadewiththeirancestorswhenItookthembythehandto bringthemupoutofthelandofEgypt—acovenanttheybroke,thoughIwastheirspouse,” saysYahweh.
LEADER:
“ButthisisthecovenantIwillmakewiththehouseofIsraelafterthosedays,”saysYahweh: “I will put my Law in their minds and on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be mypeople.”
ALL:
“NolongerwilltheyneedtoteachoneanotherorremindoneanothertolistentoYahweh.All ofthem,highandlowalike,willlistentome,”saysYahweh,“forIwillforgivetheirmisdeeds andwillremembertheirsinsnomore.”
(Jeremiah 31:31-34, The Inclusive Bible.)
(*Yahweh is substituted for YHWH in order to make it readable.)
LEADER:
Thank you.
TherewasafractureinIsrael’srelationshipwithGod.Inthistext,wedonotseeapunitive God punishing Israel for its sins. Instead, God is portrayed as an injured lover, hurt and betrayed.Ifweweretoparaphraseverse32,itmightsoundmorelikethis:
(Soften the voice a bit.)
“Israel, my beloved, I took you by the hand and walked you out of Egypt. And yet, you walked away from me.”
(Continue in a softened, tender voice.)
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LEADER:
Webreakcovenantwhenwehurt,harm,betray,rejectandwalkawayfromonewithwhom weareincovenant.
As shownhereinGod’svoicingthepainofbrokencovenant,ourjourneybacktoarelationship withGodandwithothersbeginswithacknowledgingthepainandhurtofbrokencovenants:
Are there any fractures? (Pause.)
What has caused pain? (Pause.)
Who have we hurt or rejected? (Pause.)
Whatconfessionsdoweneedtomake?(Pause.)(One-minutesilencewithmusicunderscore.)
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SONG: “Bring Your Best to Our Worst” (Singing Our Prayer, #4)
LEADER:
ThegoodnewsisthatGoddoesnotstopatsimplyacknowledgingthehurtandthepain.As covenant-equipper,Godpromisesforanewwaytorestoreandkeepcovenant.
We see in verse 33 that God offers a new way forward:
“ButthisisthecovenantIwillmakewiththehouseofIsraelafterthosedays,”saysYahweh: “I will put my Law in their minds and on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be mypeople.”
God’s new way of right and just relationships will be scripted in our minds and hearts. Covenantwillnolongerbelimitedtowordsontablets,scrolls,orpagesinabook.Covenant willbeapartofwhowearebecauseGod’sLawwillbeinourheartsandminds.
God makes a way for us to return and is always in the business of making new ways.
WecanaffirmthatGod’sdeterminedandpersistentgraceiswhathelpsuskeepcovenant.
And when we break covenant, God does not give up but invites us to return, time and time again.
Thefirststepinthisreturnistoacknowledgethepain,hurt,andharmwehaveexperienced andalsocaused,inordertoseekforgivenessandreconciliation.
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Suchasteprequirescourageandhumilitytoheartruth,speaktruthandacceptGod’sgrace that undergirdseverything.
Thejourneytowardcovenantalcommunityisnoteasy.Thepathislongandarduous,butwe aresustainedinitbytheexampleofarelentlessandgraciousGodwhorefusestogiveup onusandteachesustonotgiveuponeachother.
Will you rise in body or spirit to join me in this Closing Litany?
<PPT> CLOSING LITANY
LEADER:
Out of God’s abounding grace and abiding love, ourcovenantingGodinitiatesrelationshipwithus.
ALL:
God is Holy Love.
LEADER:
When we covenant with God, we enter into a relationship of love with God.
ALL:
Our relationship with God is holy.
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LEADER:
When we covenant with God, we commit to right relationships with the people of God.
ALL:
Our relationships with each other are holy.
LEADER:
When we covenant with God, we also commit to the care of Creation.
ALL:
Our relationship with Creation is holy.
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LEADER:
But the scriptures show that we fall short time and time again.
ALL:
But God remains faithful.
LEADER:
When we forget the ways God has led us out of captivity,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
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LEADER:
When we forget to trust God and seek after lesser gods,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
LEADER:
When we forget about the manna God provides in small and large ways,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
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LEADER:
When we forget the sacredness of our neighbor,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
LEADER:
When we forget the sacredness of the stranger,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
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LEADER:
When we forget the sacredness of the Earth,
ALL:
God doesn’t give up on us.
LEADER:
If God doesn’t give up on us, then it means,
ALL:
We don’t give up on each other. We don’t give up on the world.
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CLOSINGPRAISE:“HambaNathi(TheJourneyisLong)”[LeadMe,GuideMe(2nded.),#542]