The Spirituality of the Covenant.

CHRISTIAN spirituality; COVENANTS (Church polity); SEMINARIANS; CONGREGATIONALISM; SECULARISM; TWENTIETH century; HISTORY

It was quite a trip down memory lane to re-read this paper, written some 16 years ago. I remember the event well. The airline lost my luggage, so I presented this paper to an august body of scholars wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants--the clothes I wore on the plane. I learned the hard way to always dress as if your luggage will not arrive! At the time of this writing, I was a seminary student serving two small churches in Northeast Iowa. I was steeped in divine academics, but had much to learn about congregational dynamics, ecclesial politics, applied theology, and the power of grief in communal life. I have grown an awful lot since that time, but I still hold fast to the premise of this paper--that covenant community is sorely lacking in human experience today, and would cure many woes in both church and secular life. I am privileged to serve a church today where love and community thrive--the result of intentional covenant spirituality (though, to be fair, they would just say they love one another). These blessed saints have just recently invited me to be their pastor, and I anticipate they will teach me many things about the deeper value of the proposals I suggest in this paper. I'm honored to offer these thoughts for your consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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