Saturday 10 November 2012

Background

'Covenant' is a popular word these days. There is a covenantrelationship between the Church of England and the MethodistChurch. At Wesley's Chapel where I minister we have ourown local Covenant with our local Anglican parish church - St.Giles' Cripplegate - and we are in the process of establishing, orin reality, re-establishing and re-invigorating the Covenantbetween The Leys School and the Chapel (which incorporates theLeysian Mission).

These covenants have been worked out between the partiesconcerned and contain mutual commitments. Signatures have beenappended to confirm the commitment. No one can be prosecuted forfailing to keep a covenant, but the idea is that no party woulddream of failing to keep its promises for it would mean beingunfaithful not only to the other party but to oneself.

God told Noah that God was establishing a covenant with Noah andhis descendents. It went beyond just a commitment to the humanfamily and included the whole created universe. This was a covenantof promise with no conditions attached on the other side, and acovenant of grace promising that there would never again be a floodto devastate the world. God could not break this covenant withoutceasing to be God and because human beings need signs and symbolsto undergird their commitments God gives a sign - the sign of arainbow in the sky.

To Ponder

• As Methodists we renew our covenant with God each year - to what extentdo you think that this service is a sufficiently solemn ceremonyfor people to fully understand the promises they are making?

• There is a fashion these days for some of the main rites ofpassage - birth/baptism, marriage and funerals to be customised bypeople to their own tastes with their own wording and music. In thewedding ceremony in particular, do you think this detracts from theserious covenantal nature of the ceremony? Why?