Thoughts on Covenant for Meditation
“Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible.”
~ Hannah Arendt (German born American philosopher and political scientist, 1906-1975)
“It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.”
~ Josiah Charles Stamp (English economist, 1880-1941)
“Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.”
~ Dalai Lama (b. 1935)
“To help all created things, that is the measure of all our responsibility; to be helped by all, that is the measure of our hope.”
~ Gerald Vann (British Roman Catholic theologian, 1906-1963)
“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.”
~ William Arthur Ward (American scholar, author, and minister, 1921-1994)
“The folks you help won’t remember it and the folks you hurt won’t ever forget it.”
~ Bill Clayton (Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, 1928-2007)
“We need others. We need others to love and we need to be loved by them. There is no doubt that without it, we too, like the infant left alone, would cease to grow, cease to develop, choose madness and even death.”
~ Leo Buscaglia (American author, 1924-1988)
“Each contact with a human being is so rare, so precious, one should preserve it.”
~ Anais Nin (French-born American author, 1903-1977)
“Don’t flatter yourself that friendship authorizes you to say disagreeable things to your intimates. The nearer you come into relation with a person, the more necessary do tact and courtesy become.”
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes (Supreme Court justice, Unitarian, 1809-1894)
“It seems essential, in relationships and all tasks, that we concentrate only on what is most significant and important.”
~ Soren Kierkegaard (Danish philosopher and theologian, 1813-1855)
“Play fair. Don’t hit people. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.”
~ Robert Fulghum (Unitarian minister, b. 1937)
“Always recognize that human individuals are ends, and do not use them as means to your end.”
~ Immanuel Kant (German philosopher, 1724-1804)
“We are born in relation, we live in relation, we die in relation. There is, literally, no such human place as simply ‘inside myself’. Nor is any person, creed, ideology, or movement entirely ‘outside myself’.”
~ Carter Heyward (Episcopal priest and lesbian, feminist theologian, b. 1945)
A Kitchen Table Covenant
Make a pledge to eat dinner together as a family at least once a week. Alternatively, share a meal with a friend or loved one whom you do not normally spend time with.
Discuss as a family, or with friends, what the promises are that you make to one another in relationship. Ask yourself, “What do we do when a promise is broken?”
Our Congregation’s Unwritten Covenant
On a Sunday morning, as you enter Robinson Hall, take a look at the people around you. Ask yourself, “How am I connected to these people? How am I responsible to/for them?”
Join the Conversation
September is a great month to join a Covenant Circle. Our circle will be having discussions based around our monthly themes. Covenant Circles are a wonderful way to speak your mind on the topic, and learn what others in you community are thinking.
Or, you can join in on Facebook. “Like” our congregation’s Facebook page (facebook.com/uulosalamos) and post your thoughts on our discussion board. Let us know how else you’ve brought this month’s theme home with you.
Exploring Further from the DRE
As part of the theme-based ministry we as a congregation are exploring this year, we begin with the idea of covenant. Often it is what the RE classes start their year together with—taking time to understand what a covenant is and creating a class covenant together. This year’s curriculum for a majority of classes is focused on LOVE. It is part of the Tapestry of Faith from the Unitarian Universalist Association. But each month I will include a few ideas for talking about the topic of the month with your children. The following comes from Love Connects Us that the 3rd-4th Grade class will be exploring this year.
I hope you find it helpful as a way to connect and further explore with each other.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER
Talk about what covenant means. How is a covenant the same as or different than a promise? Who makes covenants? Do you have any family covenants? Has your family done a baby or child dedication ceremony that involved a covenant on the part of the parents or the congregational community?
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER
Create a covenant statement for your family. What are your highest goals as a family? What commitments do you make to one another? How are the commitments that parents make to a family different from those the children make? How are they the same?
A FAMILY RITUAL
At bedtime, offer your child a special promise, such as “I promise I will listen to you,” or “I promise to honor your creativity.” Or, agree on a ritual way to seal agreements you make in daily life (“I’ll try not to yell if you’ll try not to yell.”) A hug makes a good ritual of commitment, but you may wish to choose an action that is unique to your family and serves as a reminder of the special nature of a covenant.
