Today we made our covenant together as God's people as we begin another year of mission and ministry.  Because I was a late settler, and because I began work in this fellowship on 1st January (2004) the new calendar year has become a time when we recommit to each other, and to God, for the year ahead.  In some senses this is a tad odd, because our AGM is mid-March, and the church year probably starts then with the appointment of new deacons etc, though our church financial year is calendar and when we used to keep anniversaries the church one was October... confused?  You should be!

I preached on 1 Chronicles 17 - Nathan's message to David about building a house (dwelling) for God or God building a house (succession) for David.  We focussed on three paired questions....

• What do we want?  What does God want?
• What are we hearing?  What is God actually saying?
• Build a church? or Build the Church?

In a couple of weeks we have a vision day, to be led by the minister of a church in a similar boat to our own, at which we are seeking to discern what God is saying to us about the future of our fellowship.  To be able to distinguish between what we want - which may be instrinsically good but not right for now - and what God wants - which may be scary and involve risk.  To be able to test out what we are hearing to see if it really is God's voice or just our own ideas.  To build the church with or without a church building.  These are big things to undertake, so it is important that we first have the commitment one to another and to God.

After the sermon we made our covenant promise, one which has evolved from various sources but says what we need to say...

As we made our promises, and as we shared bread and wine, I looked out over these people with whom I have been entrusted.  Some of them will need a lot of TLC this year, some face incredible personal challenges, some of them are preparing to lay down roles they've held for more than half my lifetime, some are beginning to gain the confidence to step out into new ventures.  As I looked out, I realised, as I do each year at this point, just how far we've travelled in the last 12 months.

We ended the service with Estelle White's bouncy pilgrim hymn 'Moses, I know your the man' which for me always seems to speak into our situation (but I only pick about once a year)

So every day, we're on our way,

For we're a wandering, travelling race,

We're the People of God!

Thankfully, I cannot know what 2008 will bring us.  I hope that as a fellowship our general (church) health and cohesion is such that we will be able to fulfil the words of another favourite hymn of mine by Richard Gillard...

I will weep when you are weeping,

When you laugh I'll laugh with you

I will share your joy and sorrow

Till we've seen this journey through

Covenanting is a great tradition, and I think doing it annually is healthy.  It is never easy - but then it shouldn't be - because it demands of us that which Jesus himself demands - that we love and our neighbour.  I left the service with a sense of warmth (though not a Weslyan strange warmth!) and peace - God has brought us safe this far, and God will lead us on.