All are welcome into a special relationship with God, especially you.

The Holy Spirit binds in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues and races.

What is it that holds people together even in the midst of all kinds of differences? When people in the United Church of Christ talk about how they relate—to God, to each other, other churches, other religions, even creation—they often use the word "covenant." It's God's good glue that keeps us together. (Living Theological Heritage, Vol .7, 772-776). Covenant is a holy promise of devotion that is shared. When that glue sticks, God forms a bond of unity that is pliable and dynamic, not rigid or unresponsive. Unity is a result of a covenantal way of life and an amazing gift of God.

Both covenant and unity have been in our UCC heart since we formed in 1957 and they run through our blood because of our historical foreparents. In the Bible, God is a covenanting God. It is so central to us that Jesus' prayer for unity in John 17, "that they may be one," is the prayer inscribed on our logo. In our Statement of Faith, covenant is a gift of the Holy Spirit binding all faithful people together. We celebrate this covenant every time there is a baptism or we gather for Holy Communion. The first word when we utter our name, "United Church of Christ," expresses our yearning for covenant. "United!"

Covenant is how we relate to one another within local churches, and it is much more than that. In the 2001 edition of our constitution, for the first time, covenant was officially described as the foundation for our way of being the church. Each congregation has "autonomy (Living Theological Heritage, Vol. 7, 565-568)," meaning it's free to discern its own way of being and believing. Yet, because of covenant, we bind our selves to one another beyond the local church—to associations, conferences, the national setting, and General Synod. And, guess what? Those settings are called to covenant with your local church. The constitution puts it this way: "Each expression of the church listens, hears, and carefully considers the advice, counsel, and requests of others. In this covenant, the various expressions of the United Church of Christ walk together in all God's ways."

Another word similar to "unity" that expresses a faithful result of covenant is "ecumenical." Most often it points toward the unity, or desire for unity, among all Christian churches throughout the world. We are not only a united church, we are a uniting church. This doesn't mean all churches become alike, or one is swallowed up by another. Instead churches come together, each with their own distinct gifts, to more fully express Christ in the world.

For us in the United Church of Christ, "ecumenicity is not an option." (Living Theological Heritage, Vol. 7, 569-571). It is essential. We demonstrate it in a network of partnerships and councils with other churches. A few of those relationships include the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, the Ecumenical Partnership with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Formula of Agreement (Lutheran/Reformed), and Churches Uniting in Christ.

Do we enter into a covenantal way with other world religions? More than ever, we encounter persons deeply devoted to their own faiths—other than Christian. In the past, missionary efforts were primary in our approach to other faiths. Our efforts included assisting with health care, education, and working for justice, but often we did not tolerate God's gifts through other religions. Today, we seek prayerful discernment and conversation together—open to God seeking us in new ways through such a dialogue. Our commitment to a covenantal way of life and to being united and uniting, calls us to honor our religious partners, engage in conversation, assist interreligious families, and work together for justice and peace.

Because we are people of covenant we value diversity and the variety of gifts. We are bound to all God's children. Beyond relationships, our covenant way of life extends to how we care for the earth which cradles our very existence. Mack Stokes describes covenant as a "gift of God that bonds the will to God's justice." (Living Theological Heritage, Vol. 7, 773). Our prayer for unity extends beyond the unity of all churches to the reconciliation of God's whole world.

A covenant way of life is personal and public, pastoral and political, local and global. At times all this covenanting and uniting isn't so easy to figure out. A commitment to one group conflicts with the covenant  with another. We become torn in a way so that the glue grows brittle and the bond is ready to break. Then with humility, we struggle with God and neighbor about what is faithful. When it holds, we declare "Thanks be to God!" Covenant is a way of living.

What matters to you?

What relationships matter to you that involve a promise?

How is God involved in the relationship?

How do promises, covenants, help hold things together in tough times?

Where is brokenness in our world that yearns for reconciliation?

With whom or what is God calling us to covenant?