Thursday, 31 May 2007

Covenant

Last night in our Bible study we looked at how God chose a covenant people, and we looked at the Old Covenant with it's sacrifices and the New Covenant through Jesus. We also read some covenants from other churches, where the members (same as we do in our church) have tried to spell out what they stand for and then promise to stick by it.

Anyway.... the one that really inspired me was from the Methodists.

A covenant with God

'IA covenant with God am no longer my own but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you,
or laid aside for you,
exalted for you,
or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.'


This is a bit more mystical than e.g. the Salvation Army articles of war but it spoke to me because it is a heart thing more than a law thing. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was he said it was to love God, and then love your neighbour. Moses gave the people 10 commandments, but they needed/wanted more detail and ended up with books and books of minor rules and regulations. Human nature is to try to get out of things, that's why we end up with so many rules 'cos we have to cover all the cop-out clauses. Surely obeying the spirit behind the rules is better than obeying the letter of the law with the wrong heart?

The other thing about covenant is.... we make covenant as a love response to God and to His people. Then real life kicks in and we realise what we have really let ourselves in for. We have chosen the big thing but then daily we have to chose the little things that make up that choice. We might like the vision of Holy Zion set apart and blazing on the hill, then we realise it also includes late nights and washing up and giving up our opinions/habits/quirks and doing things 'cos we are committed to them and not necessarily because they are inspiring/rewarding/fun any more. We have to keep choosing our choice. That's when the heart response is more help than the letter of the law.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

covenant mate :)