The Concept of Covenant

'It is possible for Christians to esteem the Bible wrongly and equate the Bible with God. But it is not possible for Christians to esteem the Bible too highly. Every word in every sentence in every proposition or command or question in the Bible is inspired by God, authoritative, trustworthy, true, useful, and aids our joy in God. Despite their differing interpretations on some matters, Christians of various theological stripes in all ages have believed wholeheartedly in this previous sentence. My hope is that emerging Christians are not departing from it.'

The above quote can be found in the following book review: http://www.joshharris.com/2007/12/new_book_why_were_not_emergent.php

This quote alienates me. It’s not a big deal because I really couldn’t care less, but it’s still a problem because there is a significant amount of people who aren’t prepared to be excommunicated from their tradition, especially on account of something as miniscule as failing to hold to the nonsensical doctrine of Inspiration.

There are people who have grasped the most crucial elements of Christianity (I would define these as Love/Restoration/’Kingdom’) and refuse to hold to the humungous belief structures. There are, in actuality, significant amounts of people who used to hold to the latter (myself included), who have found it necessary to utterly discard the latter on account of discovering the former.

Three weeks ago on October 18th 2009, I set up covenantdaw.ning.com.

I immediately wrote a proposition to begin the discussion. In retrospect, it’s actually a lot more neat than it should have been. I want people to realize that the conversation is messy enough for their contributions to be crucial and valuable.

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The following is a proposal. It is not established. It is not decided.

Covenant began as the question, ‘What should the church look like?’

Covenant is an answer.

Not necessarily the answer, but its our answer.

Covenant answers, ‘Love.’

Covenant rejects love that requires a certain collection of beliefs. Covenant rejects love that requires return.

Covenant began as the conviction that God extends love without imposing a certain perspective on truth, even without imposing a certain perspective on God.

There are people all over the world living the way of love and suffering that Jesus taught us to, and the only thing dividing us from them is the arrogant notion that we have the truth and they don’t.

Christianity is proud of its separation from the other religions that pursue love.

Covenant is sick of it.

Covenant is an inter-structural support network, consisting of humans striving to love, accept, and support each other beyond religion, beyond personality, beyond distance.

Covenant exists for the holistic restoration of this world, and especially the restoration of the powers of this world – humanity.

Covenant is not a structure. It is an ideal, a purpose.

The first obstacle to Covenant is that the above is a collection of beliefs.

Covenant acknowledges that the notion that beliefs are not necessary is in fact a belief in itself, and is thus self-contradictory.

Covenant could include a statement of faith such as the following:

‘A distinction must be made between the pursuit of love, and Covenant.

Though love requires no beliefs, Covenant requires two.

1. Covenant consists of people who believe that love wins.

2. Covenant consists of people who believe that no other beliefs, other than these two, are necessary to be a part of this movement.’

Rather, Covenant chooses to acknowledge that it is a conduit of brokenness, a conduit of contradictions, just as the world beyond it.

Covenant consists of the people who strive to love within and through this world’s brokenness.

The above is a proposal. It is not established. It is not decided. It is my thoughts on direction.

Thus far, Covenant is a conversation.

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This is justifiably ridiculed. There is simply nothing practical about it. But for me, giving up this ideal is not an option, because it’s essentially an attempt to express who I am and what I can’t help but stand for.

I can throw away the name ‘Covenant’ and I can forfeit any opportunity of networking with other people who would strive for a family of unconditional love and I can make myself very, very alone (with the exception of my gorgeous fiancee).

But I can’t let go of my personal struggle for the heart of what I currently call Covenant.