"To Hold in Highest Regard"

I am thankful to be a member of a Christian denomination that values covenant relationships.  We are called to live in covenant with others.  Maintaining relationships requires a willingness to stay in contact, to continue to communicate, to treat others with respect even though we might disagree deeply with one another.  In covenant, we agree to stay in the conversation, to talk things through, to not let our differences divide.  In the end, we may still disagree, but we will respect one another, in the words of the baptismal blessing, as children of God, disciples of Christ, and members of the Church.

There is an expression in the foundational documents of the United Church of Christ [Constitution, Article X, 58(i)] that I have come to appreciate:  We agree "to hold in highest regard actions by, or decisions or advice emanating from, the General Synod, another Covenanted Ministry, a Conference, an Association, or a Local Church."  I would broaden this to include other members of this denomination.  We do not presume to speak for one another; but we do promise to listen long to one another and "to hold in highest regard" the actions, decisions, and advice that others bring to us. 

Being in covenant is not always comfortable nor convenient, but it is our way of being the church.  Covenant is a gift from God for us.  It is how God also relates to us, "binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races."  It is about grace and mercy.  It is about love that unites and endures.

O God, may my attitudes and actions, my words and my ways, be pleasing in your sight.  May my conversation and caring reveal the love that holds in highest regard those who share faith and life with me.  Keep me faithful to the covenants.  Continue to bless, preserve, and keep your United Church of Christ that it may be a blessing in your world.  May it be so!