Things I Learned in Church, Part 7: Promises

In this latest installment of "Things I Learned in Church," I continue to highlight positive things about my involvement in church since my youngest days.

I grew up in a church that emphasized God's promises. When you hear "promises," I don't want you to think of blank checks for health, wealth, and success as are promised to believers in some church circles. 

Photo by Peggy Sue Zinn on Unsplash

More often than not, we used the word "covenant," an old fashioned word that described a deep relationship between God and a group of people. God is the one who initiated these covenants, as described in the book of Genesis, through promises that were sometimes marked by visual displays (the rainbow) or rituals (ceremonies). Covenants between God and Noah, Abraham, Moses and David were not just about individuals. Covenants were made with the whole community in mind. They also included and invited a response.

One of the ancient promises made to the Hebrew man Abraham reads like this in translation:

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; 

and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

 Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV 1984)

The promise was for Abraham, but it was also for a nation he would found. Beyond that, it was for "all peoples on earth." That's a promise that I receive as someone of non-Hebrew ethnicity. The blessing of a relationship with God came to me through people and events I had no control over. But God's promise, God's covenant is bigger than ourselves.

Because of this covenant concept, some ceremonies in the church I was raised in and of which I am still a part include expression of promises. The promises of God are recited, and the people are invited to make promises in return--to pray for each other and be involved in the faith journeys of others, not just once but on an ongoing basis. This exchange of promises happens when a baby is christened; when a child or adult makes a public commitment to Jesus; and when new leaders are introduced. 

The life of faith is not a solo exercise, just involving the individual and God. Church reminds me that I have a commitment to others, as they have commitments to me. We are a community that looks out for each other and supports each other, putting those promises into effect over our lifetime. Because we're a collection of humans, we don't always get it right. But those promises keep me grounded and linked to God and others.