“to the end that all souls shall grow. . .”
So we started on Monday with examples of individual congregational mission statements: statements trying, with varying success, to communicate the purpose of gathering in a particular religious community.
Today we explore congregational covenants, the promises that members of a religious community make to one another in determining how they will be together in that community. The lines between these two kinds of statements can be somewhat blurred, but I have tried to select examples that illustrate the difference of intention behind them.
The Unitarian Universalist Association’s Principles and Purposes, part of the by-laws that govern the national organization, are framed as a covenant between congregations, and many individual members use them as a guideline for what a Unitarian Universalist community strives to be, but many congregations have their own statements for how they will be together in addition to the Principles.
The denomination’s Commission on Appraisal wrote a report entitled “Engaging Our Theological Diversity” (very long PDF worth reading), published in 2005, in which they took a snapshot of the state of our congregations and how the movement as a whole copes with the unique position of building communities of faith without the bindings of theological creed. They found that about half of the responding congregations recite a covenant in worship each Sunday (see page 102), and the most commonly used statement is the Williams Covenant, with some variations on the text.
For consideration: How is a covenant different from a mission statement? How does a congregational covenant reflect into the daily lives of individual members?
Covenants
Love is the doctrine of this church, the quest of truth is its sacrament and service is its prayer. To dwell together in peace, to seek knowledge in freedom, to serve humanity in fellowship, to the end that all souls shall grow into harmony with the divine, thus do we covenant with each other and with God.
~J. Griswold Williams, Singing the Living Tradition #471 with common adaptation
~~~Being desirous of promoting practical goodness in the world, and aiding each other in our moral and religious improvement, we have associated ourselves together: - not as agreeing in opinion, - not as having attained universal truth in belief or perfection in character, but as seekers after Truth & Goodness.
~Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, Illinois
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We, the members and friends of People’s Church, covenant to create and sustain an intergenerational religious community built on trust, respect, and understanding. Guided by our mission, we covenant to embrace diversity, encourage one another to participate fully in congregational life and to grow and learn together in faith and love.
We covenant to maintain open and honest communication and handle all disagreements with courtesy, fairness, and forgiveness. We promise to listen to one another, assume good intentions, identify common goals, and value the gifts brought by all.
In support of our shared ministry, we covenant to live our Unitarian Universalist principles in our local and world communities, and to give generously of our spiritual gifts and material resources.
~People’s Church, the West Shore Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Ludington, MI
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We gather together to seek the truth freely,
To celebrate beauty, to ease the world’s pain.
We’re moved by compassion to service and to justice.
All life is our concern and love is our Way.~Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Fe, New Mexico
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We gather together in love and fellowship
to worship and foster spiritual growth,
to serve humanity,
and to understand ourselves and our universe.~North Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lewis Center, OH
Source: Individual congregational websites, linked above.
Tags: community, covenant, gathering, love, principles, spirit
