Sacred Link 1
Category : Transitions
Special series — Week 1
A digital sacred conversation on HUCC’s covenant
To the HUCC family:
This special email is an introduction and Part 1 of 7 digital Sacred Conversations on the HUCC Covenant. It is being sent each week by Rev. Marijke Rossi, in collaboration with Rev. Chelsea Page and Council.
Purpose
The purpose in reviewing the covenant as sacred conversation in this way at this time is to continue the conversation we started before the pandemic and we can no longer discuss in person. It is a way that can be helpful and move us along in this process before the new senior pastor arrives. We pray that it will be useful and healing for all of us.
Agreement
We would like to start each one of these sessions with an extension of grace and a request for grace, along with the guidelines used for all sacred conversations at HUCC:
- We will listen as we read to the content here and to other’s responses with respect, with discernment and without judgment.
- Let us respond in love and caring for one another.
- As we respond let us do so with “I” language to promote each person’s voice including our own.
Covenant overview
The Covenant HUCC adopted in the past that we are using still, is broken up into six parts plus an affirmation at the end. The first has this in bold lettering: With God’s help, we covenant with one another…to build one another up in love. The second part adds on to the first as do the others, is, …. to learn new ways of trust. The third is, … to find balance in our commitments. The fourth, …to improve our communication. The fifth, …to face conflicts openly and with respect. The sixth is, … to look honestly at our history so that wounds of the past may be healed and conflicts reconciled. The affirmation is, I am entering into this covenant freely and will strive to live it out as fully as I am able, with the help of God and the support of the community. Further, I will support others as they seek to do the same.
Breakout for seven weeks
Week One: God’s Help
Week Two: Trust
Week three: Find Balance
Week four: Improve Communication
Week five: Face Conflicts
Week Six: ReconciliationWeek Seven: Affirmation
Now we begin:
Week One: God’s Help
As we enter into our covenant our awareness goes to the understanding that we don’t do it alone. We ask for help and participation from God and each other.
Covenant after all is a communal agreement. It’s a relationship. According to scripture, from the beginning of the time of human contact with God, God has entered into covenant with us. Covenant is like a sacred promise. And so, we have decided together with God that:
-With God’s help, we covenant with one another…to build one another up in love.
-I will actively seek the beauty of God’s design in each individual who enters this community.
-I will look for and celebrate all that has been done well before criticizing what doesn’t suit me.
-I will walk with a congregation member in pain.
-I will celebrate with a congregation member who is experiencing a victory.
-I will continue to live out the Open and Affirming statement of Holladay UCC, celebrating rather than fearing the diversity of gender, age, race, ethnic origin, religious background, physical and mental ability, and sexual orientation that is the human race.
-I will continue to live out the Statement of Identity of Holladay UCC. I will commit to exploring what it means to be a Whole Earth church.
We affirm some of this in our opening welcome each week as we gather for worship. These things we say assume our belovedness and the true unconditional love and caring that we believe all creation deserves.
I invite us to explore the meaning of each of these statements and seek to know how we honor these within our community.
Please ask whatever questions come up for you as you revisit the covenant you entered into as a member of HUCC.
I also invite us to reply to the question of how we come together to discuss our responses. We are open to doing Zoom Sacred conversations throughout the seven weeks.
Or just reply to: pastor@holladayucc.org. The replies sent will help to inform the next phase of exploring our move forward.
Let our journey begin.
Pastor Marijke
